Giants’ Playoff Odds Improve from +850 to +184; Can San Francisco Make the Postseason?

• The San Francisco Giants have been one of the most surprising teams in the big leagues early on
• Thanks to their impressive start, San Fran’s playoff odds have surged all the way up to +184
• Are they a good bet to make the postseason in 2021? Get the analysis and best bet below

The San Francisco Giants have opened a lot of eyes in 2021. Despite heading into the season as an NL West afterthought, they have been hanging with the league’s superpowers so far.

San Fran is currently 29-19 and sits just half a game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Wild Card race. Residing in a very tough division with the defending champions and the revamped San Diego Padres, their best bet at making the postseason will definitely be through the WC.

Their NL Playoff odds have changed drastically since Opening Day, going from a +850 longshot to +184 as of May 25th.

2021 National League Playoff Odds

Odds as of May 25th.

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Getting it Done on Both Sides of The Ball

San Francisco might not be brimming with star power like their NL West counterparts, but there’s experience on this roster. Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, and Brandon Belt all remain from their World Series-winning days, with Posey absolutely raking this season. The six-time All-Star is hitting .355 with nine homers in 30 games, which leads the offense.

The Giants have been relatively consistent both at the plate and on the mound. They’re scoring 4.6 runs per game, which is 10th in the majors, while also posting the sixth-best ERA at 3.31. San Fran is also a mile better in run differential (+30 minimum) than the Cubs, Brewers, and Reds who are all below them in the NL Wild Card standings.

At the dish, the Giants’ power output has been very impressive. The team has clubbed 47 homers, with Crawford belting 11 of his own. One of the biggest reasons they’re in this spot though is the starting rotation, led by Kevin Gausman. The hard-throwing righty has struggled to succeed at the big league level but boy, he’s sure found a home in the Bay Area. The 30-year-old is 5-0 with a stellar 1.53 ERA in 10 starts while striking out 76 hitters in 64.2 innings of work.

Gausman has been the top dog in the staff, but the rest have done their part. Alex Wood has a sub-two ERA, while Anthony DeSclafani and Johnny Cueto sport ERA’s just above three. Whether it’s Gausman or spot starter Logan Webb taking the bump, the Giants have received tremendous contributions from the staff.

More Kevin Gausman Filthy Splitters. 😷😷 pic.twitter.com/9H3TUhvWlS

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 19, 2021

San Francisco doesn’t make errors, either. They have a major league-best .991 fielding percentage. The only case that could be made is the lack of production throughout the entire lineup with the bats. Gabe Kapler’s squad is hitting just .227 as a team, but as you can see by the average runs scored, the long ball has helped out immensely.

Can They Make The Cut?

I really like the Giants. They’re fundamentally sound in basically every area and it’s hard to imagine them going ice cold, despite there being almost three-quarters of a season left. But, San Fran score runs and pitch well, evident by their far more superior run differential. At this point, the Giants are a solid bet to nab the second Wild Card spot behind either the Dodgers or Padres.

Pick: San Francisco Giants to Make Playoffs (+184)