© David Dermer | 2019 Sep 19
Yes we understand the absurdity of covering a simulation, but what do you want us to do? There’s no baseball, there’s no return in sight and we’re losing it.
At least what’s happening in this bizarro 2020 season, which is being organized by Baseball Reference using the Out of the Park simulation, is highly entertaining, especially when it comes to the Giants.
Actually it’s more of a who than what, as the Giants made two surprising early season signings in the sim. The first is Yasiel Puig, who was inked on March 29 to a minor-league deal. The second was old friend Melky Cabrera, who looked like a star on the Giants’ 2012 team before he was suspended for PED use.
Puig is the only of the two who has featured in a “game” thus far, going 2-for-9 with a home run for the 3-3 Giants. A few other notables:
- Brandon Crawford has stormed out of the gate, posting a slash line of .435/.440/.609 through the first six games of the season. Austin Slater, who has started every game, has been just as good, slashing .417/.481/.542. Posey and Belt are also rounding into form, posting OPS’ of .843 and 1.091 respectively.
- The closer situation has apparently worked itself out, with Trevor Gott getting the nod and notching saves in two of the three Giants victories. Gott worked as a closer in college and at the lower minor-league levels.
- The Giants fifth starter is…Andrew Triggs? Certainly not the favorite to win the spot, Triggs got the nod vs. the Diamondbacks and was, well, shelled, lasting just three innings while allowing four runs. Triggs didn’t pitch in the majors last season and was never able to find consistency in three uneven years with the Oakland A’s. In the real world, Logan Webb was the favorite to win the fifth starter spot for the Giants before spring training was halted.
This commences our coverage of the fake MLB season. Send help.