Five things the Giants need to win the NL West championship

[Rog]

The Giants could miss the playoffs -- or they could win the NL West.  Here are the five things I see them needing to go right for them to win the West (a collapse from the Dodgers would also help!).

.  The rotation needs to be solid.  The Giants have question marks at almost every spot, but they also have depth (Vogelsong, Petit and even Heston), plus some encouraging signs from the hopefully revitalized Tim Lincecum.  Tim Hudson is pitching well despite his clean out surgery.  Still, questions abound.

.  Brandon Belt needs to have a breakout season.  Pablo Sandoval's bat will be missed, but Brandon has actually been the most powerful Giant.  A healthy breakout season might work wonders for the lineup.

.  Angel Pagan needs to stay healthy.  If Angel goes down, the Giants have only three outfielders, not five as needed.  Having Hunter Pence come back strongly is key too.

.  The bullpen needs to remain among the best.  It's the bullpen and Buster Posey that have stood out for the recent Giants.

.  Joe Panik needs to avoid a sophomore slump.  He really helps lengthen the lineup.



An aside:  James Shields has been named the Padres' Opening Day starter.  I believe Tyson Ross just posted 12 strikeouts in 8 innings.

[klaiggeb]

The Giants could miss the playoffs -- or they could win the NL West. Here are the five things I see them needing to go right for them to win the West (a collapse from the Dodgers would also help!).

. The rotation needs to be solid. The Giants have question marks at almost every spot, but they also have depth (Vogelsong, Petit and even Heston), plus some encouraging signs from the hopefully revitalized Tim Lincecum. Tim Hudson is pitching well despite his clean out surgery. Still, questions abound.


*****boly says**** Totally agree, but I don't think it will be even close to solid, as I've said adnauesum.

. Brandon Belt needs to have a breakout season. Pablo Sandoval's bat will be missed, but Brandon has actually been the most powerful Giant. A healthy breakout season might work wonders for the lineup.


*****boly says**** Again, totally agree. Brandon LOOKS confident, and that's the way he finished last year; confident. He no longer looks tentative.

. Angel Pagan needs to stay healthy. If Angel goes down, the Giants have only three outfielders, not five as needed. Having Hunter Pence come back strongly is key too.

*****boly says**** Totally agree. Pagan is a key.

. The bullpen needs to remain among the best. It's the bullpen and Buster Posey that have stood out for the recent Giants.

*****boly says**** Right on the mark. And we should be among the best again.



. Joe Panik needs to avoid a sophomore slump. He really helps lengthen the lineup.

*****boly says****With Joe's short, flat, quick stroke, a sophomore slump should not occur/has no reason to occur UNLESS things get into Joe's head.

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[Rog]

Boly -- Angel Pagan needs to stay healthy. If Angel goes down, the Giants have only three outfielders, not five as needed. Having Hunter Pence come back strongly is key too.

Rog -- Excellent point. I should have listed that instead of "Panik-ing!" If something happened to Joe, Matt Duffy might be able to take over. The infield depth is much better than the outfield backups.




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[Rog]

Boly -- Right on the mark. And we should be among the best again.

Rog -- I go back and forth on the bullpen. I'm certainly not expecting to suddenly fall apart, but the most significant pieces (Casilla, Romo, Affeldt and Lopez) are in their 30's. In fact, only Romo won't be 35 or older by the end of the season.

The Giants have replacements on the way, but they don't appear to be ready. Mostly because of Romo, there was a slight decline in the bullpen last season. Lopez wasn't as sharp, either. It wouldn't be surprising if that decline continued. The bullpen should still be pretty good though unless the decline accelerates.




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