If you looked at most baseball writers' overwhelming apathy towards the 2015 San Francisco Giants on the surface level, you'd think the Giants had been floundering around the .500 mark for the past five seasons and not building a true dynasty with a third World Series title in five tries.
The spotlight has officially been stolen by perennial losers like the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres, incredibly leaving the Giants to play the role of underdogs (?!?). If our 3 bold predictions for the 2015 San Francisco Giants prove correct, that spotlight will shift back to the Bay before long.
1. Brandon Crawford will make 'the leap' in 2015
Crawford is already one of Major League Baseball's premier defensive shortstops just four years into his MLB career, but it's his slow and steady progression as a hitter that primes him for a true breakout in 2015. Crawford has improved his batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage in each of his four seasons by the Bay, while also setting career bests in 2014 for extra-base hits (40), RBIs (69), walks (58), and OPS (.713) among other categories. His work ethic draws rave reviews and he's the ultimate team player, so there's plenty of reason to buy into Crawford as a candidate to join the game's elite in 2015.
2. San Francisco will add a significant rotation piece before the deadline 
The Giants' starting rotation has boom/bust potential behind Madison Bumgarner, with Matt Cain's health, Tim Hudson and Jake Peavy's age, and Tim Lincecum's inconsistency providing significant question marks for the club going forward. While it's unlikely that the sky will cave in and the team will be trotting out replacement-level starters by June, San Francisco will keep their eyes out for tide-turning starting rotation pieces before the trade deadline -- especially if they're in the thick of the playoff mix once again. Cole Hamels, anyone?
3. The Giants will be around to defend their title come October 
Don't buy into the odd-year jinx or the pundits' criticism of San Francisco's lack of activity this offseason. Losing Pablo Sandoval and Michael Morse to free agency will sting, but there's plenty of offense with Buster Posey, Hunter Pence (after return from injury), and a ready-to-mash Brandon Belt - along with the acquisitions of Nori Aoki and Casey McGehee - to do damage in the NL West. If the rotation holds up and the team finds a steal or two at the deadline, there's still plenty of magic left in the wand for the Giants to bring another trophy to AT&T Park.
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