SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants hit the first big mile marker of the regular season on Monday, though they remained mired in a concerningly languid pace following a 6-2 Memorial Day loss to the D-backs at Oracle Park.
With roughly a third of the season in the books at this holiday benchmark, the Giants find themselves 10 games below .500 at 22-32, tied with the Mets for the second-worst record in the National League ahead of only the Rockies (20-34).
It’s been a massive disappointment for a team that entered the year with an eye toward returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2021. The Giants hired former University of Tennessee coach Tony Vitello to serve as their new manager in the hope that he could bring a competitive edge to their roster, but the club has collectively underperformed under his watch thus far.
“I think we learned a lot of tough lessons,” Vitello said. “I think I kind of brought up scar tissue the other day. You do need to know what it's like to get punched in the mouth. It does add some value, even though it kind of stings at first. At this point, we've been punched in the mouth, the gut, other body parts, so hopefully that serves us well because times will get even tougher than they've been at some point. Knowing how to handle that -- or knowing that you've been through it and how to get through it together as a group -- is valuable.”
“We’ve definitely got to play better,” right-hander Landen Roupp said. “Anybody who’s watching that can say the same thing. But we’re working hard, and we’re trying. It’ll come around. We’ve just got to put some small things together, and we’ll be right there.”
The most alarming trend for the Giants has been their erratic offense, which ranks 29th in the Majors in runs (197), 28th in on-base-percentage (.294) and last in walks (115) and stolen bases (12) this year. The lineup was expected to be a strength after the club made long-term commitments to Rafael Devers, Willy Adames and Matt Chapman, but the trio of infielders struggled to get going at the plate early this year.
Devers, who briefly gave the Giants a 2-1 lead with a fourth-inning double that would have been a home run in every other Major League ballpark on Monday, has turned it around this month, slashing .302/.351/.593 with a .944 OPS over 23 games in May.
But San Francisco is still waiting for more sustained production from Chapman (.636 OPS) and Adames (.666 OPS), who also airmailed a throw to first base that kicked off the D-backs’ pivotal three-run rally against Roupp in the top of the fifth.
“It’s definitely not what you want,” said Roupp, who struck out seven and was charged with four runs (two earned) over five innings. “The main thing to do once we score some runs like that and we get ahead is coming out and throwing up a scoreless inning. I think that kind of shifted the momentum to them the rest of the game. I’ve got to figure out a way to not let that happen.”
Super-utility man Casey Schmitt extended the fateful inning by getting caught in between on Ketel Marte’s game-tying double to left field, but he’s been the Giants’ most consistent hitter (.892 OPS) and has made himself even more valuable through his willingness to learn the outfield this year. Luis Arraez has been a bright spot as well, batting a team-high .318 with a .789 OPS while turning himself into one of the best defensive second basemen in the Majors this year.
Injuries have also hampered the 2026 Giants, with new center fielder Harrison Bader (.587 OPS) missing a month with a left hamstring strain and corner outfielders Heliot Ramos (right quad strain) and Jung Hoo Lee (mid-back strain) both hitting the shelf this month.
San Francisco’s starting rotation has also been without ace right-hander Logan Webb, who has been sidelined since May 6 with right knee bursitis. Webb made his first rehab start with Triple-A Sacramento on Friday and is expected to throw another bullpen session before the Giants determine his next steps.
Still, the two-time All-Star could return to action this weekend against the Rockies, which should be a major boon to a starting staff that is currently tied for 26th in the Majors with a 4.81 ERA.
“He brings a toughness to the locker room that I think applies a lot more when he's active,” Vitello said. “He's obviously still been in the locker room, but when he's pounding the strike zone, too, it provides leadership by example.”