The San Francisco Giants may not be off to a great start in 2023, as they sit at 11-17, five games back of first place in the NL West and 4.5 back in the Wild Card race.
However, there have been some successes to start the season.
While they remain close in the standings, they have a few players who are performing quite well.
In fact, they find themselves in an elite category at the moment.
According to Jeff Young of Fansided, the Giants have three position players with an fWAR of 1.0 or better.
Thairo Estrada has an fWAR of 1.3, while LaMonte Wade Jr. and J.D. Davis each have an fWAR of 1.0.
One month through the season, the #SFGiants are 1 of 7 teams to have at least 3 position players with 1.0 fWAR or better:
Thairo Estrada: 1.3 fWAR
LaMonte Wade Jr: 1.0 fWAR
J.D. Davis: 1.0 fWAR— Jeff Young (@BaseballJeff1) May 2, 2023
The Giants are one of seven teams in Major League Baseball to have three position players with an fWAR of 1.0 or better.
Young also noted the other six teams on the list, which are the Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, and Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Rays have six position players with at least a 1.0 fWAR, while the Cubs have four.
The remaining teams on the list have three such players, as the Giants do.
So while the team hasn’t been playing its best baseball, there is still plenty of reason for optimism in San Francisco.
Their deficit in the standings is not insurmountable, and they have several players who could lead them back into the mix if they continue to perform the way they have been as of late.
The Giants are currently in the midst of a three-game series with the defending World Series champion Houston Astros.
NEXT: Giants Analyst Offers Hope For A 2023 Turnaround