Giants preseason capsule: Rediscovering winning ways is next task

San Francisco Giants

2024 record: 80-82 (4th place, NL West).

He gone: LHP Blake Snell, OF Michael Conforto, LHP Taylor Rogers, OF Mark Canha.

New faces: RHP Justin Verlander, SS Willy Adames.

Biggest question entering Opening Day: With a record below .500 for the sixth time in eight seasons in 2024, Buster Posey is now the president of baseball operations in the Bay Area. How long will it take to get the club back to its winning ways from 2010-14?

Top prospect: LHP Carson Whisenhunt figures to be the latest Giants pitcher to make his debut after RHPs Landen Roupp and Hayden Birdsong arrived last season. Whisenhunt had a 5.42 ERA with 135 strikeouts at Triple-A while increasing his overall workload to 109 2/3 innings in the minors behind a plus sinker.

Breakout player: CF Jung Hoo Lee saw his first season in the major leagues cut short by a shoulder injury last season but proved in spring training he is healthy and ready go. A plus leadoff man with the ability to cover massive amounts of ground in the outfield is just what the Giants need.

2025 outlook: Owner of the largest contract (seven years, $182 million) in club history, Adames now partners with 3B Matt Chapman on an impressive left side of the infield. The club will need quality out of the back end of the rotation from Verlander, RHP Jordan Hicks and Roupp.

--Field Level Media