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Where do Giants stand one-third of the way through season?

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Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports


Through one-third of the Giants’ season, there are two National League teams with a worse winning percentage (and one, the Phillies, has played 13 games).

Through 20 games, the Giants (8-12) are last in the NL West. They lead the majors in errors (21), are 23rd in ERA (5.10) and 23rd in OPS (.697).

The veterans, just about all of whom tweaked swings this offseason, have plunged further thus far rather than bounced back. There have been three encouraging offensive breakouts, although two currently have injury concerns and none is the true young prospect to build around.

Manager Gabe Kapler has shown trust in his players, who in turn have shown they are playing for him. The Giants have four times come back from four-run deficits, even if that made for a more painful loss on occasion.

The Giants are returning home for a three-game set with the A’s after Thursday’s off day and a 3-7 road trip in Colorado, Los Angeles and Houston.

“We just didn’t didn’t perform the way we were capable of performing,” Kapler said, which signals he hopes it is an execution problem and not a talent problem. The trade deadline is in just two and a half weeks, the Giants’ front office needing to quickly decide if there is hope for this group or if it is time to explore hope for the future.

What complicates the equation — and doesn’t everything complicate the equation in 2020? — is the expanded playoffs, with eight teams from each league. Is it worth chasing a No. 7 or 8 seed and trying for more October magic?

For his part, Kapler said it’s too early to concern himself with where the Giants stand; he’ll take Game 40 over Game 20 before really looking at the postseason picture.

“Maybe the two-thirds mark might be the right spot and you just pay a little bit closer attention to the standings, but it doesn’t change the way you prepare or the way you focus on your own club,” Kapler said Wednesday. “Really, that’s the only thing that drives you into the postseason anyhow.”

What would drive the Giants into the postseason is continued excellence from Mike Yastrzemski, Donovan Solano and Austin Slater, the three bona-fide discoveries thus far, as well as health from Solano (abdominal soreness) and Slater (right elbow soreness). They have carried an offense that has been abandoned by its stalwarts.

The Giants hoped and believed their offensive veterans would take a step forward under the new hitting minds. The step has been back. Brandon Crawford is batting .208 without an extra-base hit. Pablo Sandoval .179 and hasn’t even been playing against righties. Brandon Belt’s .238 on-base percentage is 100 points worse than his OBP last year. Evan Longoria’s OPS is down from last year’s .762 to .569. Hunter Pence is batting .105.

These are not problems Joey Bart can solve if and when he finally comes up. The Giants have been loud with their praise of the older core and have insisted comebacks were on the horizon. Through 20 games, that has not happened. When the older players struggle, the younger players become beacons toward the future rather than just younger pieces there to help. Another issue is some of the beacons toward the future, on the major league team at least, have faltered, too.

Mauricio Dubon has not established himself as a major league player, his much-talked-about defense mostly fine, but his bat hasn’t come around. He’s slashing .200/.213/.289 with a home run and double and with just one walk.

Jaylin Davis could not prove himself before he was demoted, Slater’s stock rising instead.

The pitching has been better than the hitting, but it’s a low bar to clear. With a rotation that has settled into a semblance of normalcy — Johnny Cueto, Kevin Gausman, Logan Webb, Tyler Anderson and Trevor Cahill, with Drew Smyly and Jeff Samardzija on the mend — there is progress being made. Especially encouraging have been Gausman and Webb, the former a potential trade chip, the latter looking increasingly like he is a part of the rotation’s future. Webb, at 23, might sneakily be the most important Giant this year.

Their bullpen, which features plenty of high-octane arms, has had its moments but mostly been a disappointment. According to Fangraphs’ tabulation, the Giants relievers’ minus-1.2 WAR is worst in baseball thus far. Their 5.20 ERA is poor, as are their strikeouts and walks per nine innings: 7.44 and 4.48, respectively.

There is and was hope for the unit because of the variety of arms, and perhaps the addition of Jarlin Garcia will stabilize the pen. There has been encouraging pitching from Trevor Gott, Tony Watson, Wandy Peralta and Conner Menez; there have been signs of progress from Tyler Rogers, Shaun Anderson and Sam Selman; and there have been flashes and alarms from Rico Garcia and Caleb Baragar. The Giants hoped they would have more clarity concerning who best to rely upon at this point.

That is not the case in their lineup, where the Giants have a good feel for who is giving them the best chance to win. The answers they’re getting, though, are troubling through 20 games.