Baseball has changed since the early-to-mid-2010s, when the San Francisco Giants won three World Series over a span of five seasons.
They rode some opportunistic hitting, occasional power and some stellar starting pitching performances by Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner, Matt Cain, and others to win three Fall Classics: one in 2010, one in 2012, and the other one in 2014.
They won that many championships without having a 30-homer hitter on the roster.
That probably wouldn’t work these days, though.
In fact, they haven’t had one of those since Barry Bonds days.
Of course Bonds is more like a 45-homer hitter, but still: a few players have come relatively close, but the Giants’ last 30-homer batter was Bonds in 2004.
That’s 18 years ago, if you are keeping score.
A very particular free agent could represent the end of that weird drought.
“Giants should sign Aaron Judge imo. SF hasn’t had a 30 homer season since Bonds,” Cespedes Family BBQ tweeted.
Giants should sign Aaron Judge imo.
SF hasn’t had a 30 homer season since Bonds. pic.twitter.com/Es2tz2efZo
— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) November 14, 2022
A Statistical Oddity
It’s certainly an odd stat: the team with the longest drought of individual 30-homer seasons that comes after the Giants are the Detroit Tigers, and it came from Miguel Cabrera in 2016.
Aaron Judge, without a doubt, could help the Giants end that streak if he were to sign to play in San Francisco.
Not only did he just hit 62 home runs in 2022, but he also surpassed 30 in 2017 and 2021.
Yes, San Francisco is not exactly a dream setting for home run hitters, but Judge’s raw power is enough to guarantee a few 30-homer seasons with a full slate of games.
The Giants are reportedly determined not to get outbid by any team for Judge’s services.
He grew up in California, and can consider a return home.
The New York Yankees, however, are the favorites to land him.