Ranking the five best SF Giants moments from a disappointing 2023 season

With a few weeks removed from the SF Giants frustrating 2023 campaign, Steven Rissotto looks back at the team's five best moments during the season.

It’s now been a few weeks since the SF Giants tied a bow on a disappointing, yet extremely polarizing 2023 season. Their version of full-throttle didn’t include a full starting rotation or a functional offense, which lacked any elite –– also once promised –– power threats. On the base paths, they looked slow and unathletic, oftentimes emulating a scenario if baseball were to ever be played on quicksand. The number of errors certainly never tells the entire story about the defensive quality of a team, but leading the big leagues in that category can’t possibly be a positive development.

All of this mayhem and misfortune resulted in the organization’s fanbase settling on the term “boring” to describe their beloved Giants –– hardly a compliment.

The race to the finish line may not have been a glorious sight for San Francisco –– just ask their fallen leader, Gabe Kapler, who took the bullet from the chopper and was dismissed from his managerial duties three games before the season even concluded. While there’s work to do to improve the roster for next season, it would be unfair to ignore the moments from 2023 that stand out as significant and –– prepare because here comes the dreaded word –– fun.

The task of promptly scanning through all the memorable moments from this season wasn’t easy. There ended up being around 15-20 options to choose from. The process of narrowing down the list took a few days of back-and-forth thinking with input from reliable Giants diehards and, of course, some trustworthy individuals who cover the club for Giants Baseball Insider.

SF Giants catcher Blake Sabol hits a walk-off home run against the Cardinals. (2023) / Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

#5: Blake Sabol’s first career walk-off homer

Walk-off homers are memorable. Walk-off homers from Rule 5 Draft rookies are unforgettable.

Blake Sabol experienced the highest of highs on April 25 against the St. Louis Cardinals at Oracle Park when the young catcher squared off against All-Star closer Ryan Helsley.

In a one-run game with two outs in the ninth, a few members of the Giants pitching staff were spotted hanging over the dugout railing with their hats turned inside-out –– the traditional signal to alert the baseball gods of a desired rally. Even the usually stoic Anthony DeSclafani participated.

It’s safe to say Sabol responded.

After being fed a steady diet of breaking balls all night long, Sabol hammered a two-strike hanging slider –– for whatever reason, they refused to throw him fastballs –– 428-feet over the center field fence to send everybody home. The 25-year-old flipped his bat and showcased a light flex as he briefly looked into the St. Louis dugout before taking his first-career walk-off home run trot.

“If I told you I saw that coming, I'd be Pinocchio,” Giants TV broadcaster Duane Kuiper exclaimed on-air following the game.

Sabol also made history 17 days earlier on April 8 when he teamed up with left-hander Sean Manaea to create what was believed to be the first Samoan battery in MLB history. To top off the cool moment, Manaea fired six solid innings in the effort.

Casey Schmitt sends one into orbit in his major league debut. (2023) / Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

#4: Casey Schmitt and Patrick Bailey’s emergence

The singular most important outcome for the Giants to succeed moving forward is the development of their young players. San Francisco debuted 12 rookies in 2023, some top prospects while others may not be long-term options. The duo to stand out from the dozen is infielder Casey Schmitt and catcher Patrick Bailey.

Although Schmitt’s overall impact on the field wasn’t ideal –– he notched just a .580 OPS in 277 plate appearances –– in his rookie campaign, the 24-year-old is responsible for lighting some fire under an underachieving Giants team that was 15-19 by the time they called him up on May 9. Schmitt made an immediate impact, homering off Washington lefty Patrick Corbin in his second big league at-bat.

Not only did he thrive by hitting .325 in May (27-for-83), Schmitt was a stable presence in the infield at three different positions with a surplus throwing arm –– his throw from third base after fielding a ground ball on May 17 was registered at 94.1 mph, the fastest throw of the season by an infielder up until that point.

It looked like Schmitt was enjoying himself, too. As the struggles consumed him, the rookie rarely showed his cards emotionally and appeared to be a positive energy inside the Giants clubhouse despite his offensive woes.

Patrick Bailey followed Schmitt, but his emergence was arguably more surprising. The Giants called up their catching prospect in May after just 60 plate appearances at the Triple-A level. Despite the small sample size, Bailey –– known always as a defense-first catcher during his time in the minor leagues –– turned some heads offensively by slashing .314/.344/.542 with a 140 wRC+ directly amid San Francisco’s hottest stretch of the season. On Aug. 13, the switch-hitting catcher cranked a walk-off homer from his weaker side –– the right side of the plate –– to defeat the Texas Rangers.

Bailey didn’t finish the season on a strong note at the plate, but the value of his defense single-handedly placed him among the favorites to win the Gold Glove Award in the National League at catcher. To compliment his elite pitch framing and leadership skills, Bailey’s arm was responsible for cutting down 25 attempted steals on the bases, tied for third-most in the big leagues despite playing in fewer innings than the league leaders. Few moments were more crucial than Bailey’s decision to unleash a game-ending snap-throw from his knees to first base to catch Gerardo Perdomo sleeping to ensure a victory over Arizona on Aug. 1.

To say the Giants have their catcher of the future? Well, it could certainly be an understatement.

SF Giants SP Alex Cobb pitches against the Reds at Oracle Park on August 29, 2023 / Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

#3: Alex Cobb almost no-hits Reds

Veteran starter Alex Cobb experienced another solid season for the Giants, finally earning his first All-Star selection at 35 years old. Once again serving as one of the National League’s most consistent arms over the last few seasons, Cobb provided much-needed stability by recording a 3.87 ERA in 151 ⅓ innings of work in an unusually thin rotation.

San Francisco rode Cobb quite a bit, likely having some –– not everything –– to do with his current offseason hip issue. He twirled a complete-game shutout on April 24 against the Cardinals –– the game before Blake Sabol pushed himself on the map with his aforementioned walk-off blast.

A few months later on Aug. 29, Cobb gazed around Oracle Park to see over 26,000 fans cheering him on as the right-hander continued his no-hit bid heading into the ninth inning against the Cincinnati Reds. He notched two flyouts, but also walked one to set up the final matchup vs Reds rookie Spencer Steer with two away.

As strong as he threw, obvious signs of fatigue were starting to wear Cobb down as Steer broke up the no-hitter by ripping a double over the outstretched glove of right fielder Luis Matos, who wasn’t able to perfect the superman leap to preserve the effort –– not that he would’ve come close, but it’s worth pointing out.

Cobb would’ve been the first Giants pitcher to fire a no-hitter since Chris Heston dazzled in Queens against the New York Mets in 2015. The feat hasn’t occurred at Oracle Park since Tim Lincecum buried the San Diego Padres for zeros across the board during his second-career no-hitter in 2014.

Giants manager Gabe Kapler left Cobb in the game, even after allowing the double, to record one more out. On his 131st pitch of the night, Cobb finished off his performance with a strikeout –– his eighth of the night.

There always seems to be a flawless defensive play when a starting pitcher is en route to throwing a no-hitter and Austin Slater’s unbelievable diving catch in center field to retire the eighth inning was quite a dandy. Reds outfielder Will Benson simply couldn’t believe his fast-sinking bloop wasn’t automatically ticketed for empty real estate in front of Slater.

SF Giants SS Brandon Crawford acknowledges the crowd on October 1, 2023 / D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

#2: Brandon Crawford says goodbye to SF Giants fans

It’s difficult –– almost impossible –– to argue Brandon Crawford’s significance to the SF Giants organization. Make no mistakes about it, he’s the greatest shortstop in the storied history of the franchise.

Two championships, four Gold Glove awards at a premium position, three All-Star Game appearances, and a Silver Slugger award. He’s played the fourth most games with the club since they moved to the left coast in 1958, trailing only Willie Mays, Willie McCovey and Barry Bonds –– the type of company only an icon could join.

A childhood dream well lived.

A free agent in the coming weeks, Crawford will be 37 years old when Opening Day 2024 lands on the calendar. Now a shell of his glory days, the Giants brass has commented on the challenges of the possibility of bringing back Crawford for next season. Due to his lack of production, the fit just isn’t there.

The Giants honored their legacy shortstop on the final game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Oct. 1, as the Oracle Park crowd united in unison to provide Crawford –– equipped with never-ruffled, always-curly hair and lead-by-example professionalism –– with multiple standing ovations throughout the afternoon.

They cheered when Crawford’s children threw out the first pitch, displaying an insane amount of athleticism in the process. They cheered when he took the field by himself as the rest of the starting position players stayed back to amplify the applause. They cheered during his first at-bat when he doffed his helmet to the roaring crowd. They cheered when he took the microphone to address the crowd, thanking them for another season of dedicated support before expressing his gratitude from a personal standpoint.

“From the grand slam in Milwaukee to the World Series wins to today, you guys always showed me love. My family and I appreciated it so much. You guys are the best,” Crawford told the crowd.

SF Giants SP Kyle Harrison pitches against the Reds in his Oracle Park debut. (2023) / Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

#1: Kyle Harrison’s SF Giants home debut

There are a few definitions of “dominant” from Oxford Languages. While it’s not listed in any single dictionary throughout the globe, Kyle Harrison’s Oracle Park debut on Aug. 28 against the Cincinnati Reds deserves its line –– or section –– in the next edition to be published.

The Giants waited on Harrison for a while. They could have thrown him into the fire by placing him on their Opening Day roster. They could have brought him up sooner knowing their thin-natured starting rotation –– if you can even call it a starting rotation. Instead, the organization allowed themselves to slow down the process to make sure their prize-possession lefty was ready. It took a while, no doubt.

After a string of encouraging outings at Triple-A Sacramento, Harrison –– often a suspect of limited innings in the minors to “save bullets” on his prize left arm –– made his debut in Philadelphia and kept a postseason-bound Phillies club to two runs over 3 ½ innings with five strikeouts. It wasn’t an ideal first outing –– Bryce Harper greeted him the only way Bryce Harper knows how, with a tank –– but the signs were there.

As he toed the slab in San Francisco against the Reds for his second start, it was a different story. The training wheels that Harrison had been dragging along with him through the minor leagues were completely removed as he fired 6 ⅓ shutout innings with 11 strikeouts. Cincinnati hitters had no chance, zero. Harrison’s fastball was generating swings and misses and he was allowed the opportunity to work deep into the game at 91 pitches.

Harrison is described by many as a classic competitor, one of those individuals who hates losing more than he loves winning. The emotions splurged out of the 22-year-old that night as he pumped his fist and let out a passionate scream before he strolled off the mound in the sixth inning after recording yet another criminally filthy strikeout.

More than the pitching performance and the strikeouts, it’s hard to think of a more meaningful moment for the organization. Just think about it: San Francisco hasn’t seen a pitching prospect with this amount of pedigree –– this amount of hype and potential –– since Madison Bumgarner burst onto the scene in 2009.

And here they are now, fresh off a lackluster 2023 season that featured incredible highs and forgettable lows. But if anything of note came from the league’s “most boring contender,” it was the slim pathway of light that displays a look into the future of the San Francisco Giants: Kyle Harrison enduring more of these dominant outings for many years to come.

Honorable Mentions

Once again, the number of moments to choose from was extremely deep. But there’s a few that just missed and deserve some recognition anyway.

Mike Yastrzemski’s walk-off three-run homer to defeat the San Diego Padres on June 20 was very close to appearing on this list. Yaz’s second homer of the game was a no-doubt that splashed down in McCovey Cove, extending the Giants’ win streak to eight games in a row.

J.D. Davis’ grand slam at Dodger Stadium on June 17 –– a few days before Yaz’s dramatic homer –– received a ton of attention in the vetting process. In his first at-bat since an ankle injury cost him some time, Davis came off the bench to contribute a bases-loaded slam to straight away center field –– the first pinch-hit grand slam of the season in MLB and first for the Giants since 2019. The Giants also won 15-0, cementing their largest shutout ever in Los Angeles against the Dodgers.

In a rotation that depended mightily on production and length from their top starters, Logan Webb provided just that with a workhorse season amassing 200 innings for the first time in his career. He added two separate complete games to his resume, including his first MLB shutout during his last outing of the first half on July 9 against the Rockies. The right-hander allowed seven hits while striking out ten and walking none.

A couple of cool moments took place, too. LaMonte Wade Jr crushed Oracle Park’s 100th splash hit on June 2. Before the season began, the organization honored longtime reliever and fan favorite Sergio Romo back to retire as a Giant during the annual preseason Bay Bridge Series vs Oakland. Mike Murphy, a staple in San Francisco since 1958, was rewarded with a day in his honor when the Giants inducted their former clubhouse manager into their Wall of Fame on Aug. 27. There was also the moment where Dave Flemming dressed as a batboy after losing a fantasy football bet –– it’s probably insignificant enough to be excluded, but funny enough to warrant a few words.