3 positive trends for the surging Giants

This story was excerpted from Maria Guardado’s Giants Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants are closing out May on a high note, going 17-11 to get back over .500 and showing glimpses of the team they expected to be coming out of Spring Training.

Here are three encouraging trends that have keyed the Giants’ rise this month:

1. The bullpen is on a roll

The Giants’ bullpen entered May with the third-worst ERA in the Majors (6.15), but they’ve dominated over the last two weeks, compiling a 0.80 ERA to help the club win 11 of its last 15 games.

Closer Camilo Doval should be a candidate for National League Reliever of the Month after converting each of his 11 save opportunities in May while recording a 0.71 ERA with 20 strikeouts over 12 2/3 innings. Left-hander Taylor Rogers is also pitching well, giving up only one run over 15 innings (0.60 ERA) in his last 16 appearances.

The unit should be further bolstered by the return of right-hander Luke Jackson, who was activated off the 60-day injured list on Tuesday after completing his long road back from Tommy John surgery. Jackson didn’t pitch last year, but he logged a 1.98 ERA over 71 appearances for the World Series champion Braves in 2021.

“I’m excited to add him to a bullpen that’s already in really good shape,” manager Gabe Kapler said.

2. The kids are alright

Infielder Casey Schmitt and catcher Patrick Bailey were viewed as more defensive-minded prospects when they were coming up through the Giants’ farm system, but they’ve enjoyed fast starts at the plate since making their Major League debuts earlier this month.

Schmitt entered Wednesday hitting .325 with an .808 OPS and two homers over 21 games and is helping his teammates break out of slumps by feeding them Sour Patch Kids. The switch-hitting Bailey is batting .314 with a .905 OPS, two homers and 11 RBIs over his first 10 games, with the Giants going 7-2 when he starts behind the plate.

Schmitt and Bailey have been at the forefront of the club's youth movement, but the Giants have also gotten key contributions from other rookies like Blake Sabol, Brett Wisely, Tristan Beck and Ryan Walker.

“I think one of the cooler things with our young guys is kind of the quiet confidence that a lot of them have,” left-hander Alex Wood said. “A lot of guys used to come up and put pressure on themselves early and the game really speeds up at the plate and in the field. You can really see that with a lot of rookies that come up. It just seems like all the guys that we’ve brought up so far, they’re just taking it in stride. They’re having fun. We have a pretty fun clubhouse, and I think that’s helped translate to some of their comfortability out there on the field.”

3. The free-agent additions are turning it around

Most of the Giants’ big free-agent signings underperformed early on this season, but they’ve seemingly hit their stride in May. Michael Conforto has emerged as the club’s top hitter in recent weeks, batting .373 with a 1.138 OPS, seven home runs and 17 RBIs over his last 18 games. Fellow corner outfielder Mitch Haniger is also heating up at the plate, hitting .348 with a .940 OPS and two homers over his last 12 games.

Like Rogers, left-hander Sean Manaea has been clicking out of the bullpen, recording a 0.84 ERA with 16 strikeouts over 10 2/3 innings in his last four relief appearances. The Giants will hope for a similar turnaround from Ross Stripling, who posted a 7.24 ERA through his nine appearances before landing on the 15-day IL with a back strain.