At first, the San Francisco Giants were a pleasant April surprise. Then, it looked like they were following their persistent pattern of surprising competence with an aging core. But unlike 2019 and 2020, when they merely stayed on the periphery of contention into the summer, they now have the best record in baseball with just a month to go before the trade deadline.
A team no one really envisioned as a serious contender is hanging on to the top spot in baseball’s toughest division — for now. They’re a game-and-a-half up on the rival Los Angeles Dodgers after dropping the first two games of their series, and three up on the loaded San Diego Padres.