If you are looking for a team to make a strong push into and during the playoffs this season, it has to be the San Fransisco Giants. They have no chance of catching the Dodgers for the NL West division lead, but if they can maintain their current winning percentage, they should beat out the Brewers for the Wild Card.
Once in the post-season, a three-man rotation of Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and 300-game winner Randy Johnson would be the best trio in the league. It will also take some offense to get them deep in October, and if they have any issues a big bopper or a reliable RBI man would be it. However, I think Pablo Sandoval is the best player in baseball that gets no attention, and he is having one fine season with a .333 average, 15 homers and 55 RBIs at just 22-years old.
If San Fransisco can rid themselves of Barry Zito by combining him with a prospect for a big bat (maybe Matt Holliday from across the bay?), a line-up with Sandoval and a capable Aaron Rowand should provide more than enough runs for such a good rotation.
At the end of the games, they have another overlooked player in Brian Wilson closing out their contests. Wilson has battled a high ERA since landing the closer’s job last season, but he gets the job done with 41 saves (6 blown) last season and 23 saves (4 blown) so far this year.
The best part about the Giants is that even if they don’t get the World Series this season, with Lincecum being 25 and Cain being 24, they have a very good chance of competeting next year. And when Cain, Lincecum, and Sandoval hit their primes in three or four years, super stud Angel Villalona will likely be making his way to the majors (he is just 18 now).
