San Francisco Giants

San Francisco should be a very fun and interesting team to watch this season, and should be able to possibly win the NL WIld Card.

But don't expect for the Giants to be able to win the NL West, because they won't be able to beat the Rockies. The Rockies are just to good.

San Francisco's success will be based on their pitching again, which is still very strong, and possibly even better than last year's pitching. The Giants have some of the best young players in baseball with Tim Lincecum and Pablo Sandoval, along with other young studs on the team.

There isn't any real reason for San Francisco Giants fans to worry about who'll fill the fifth spot in the starting rotation, or whether injured Fred Sanchez will ready sooner rather than later.

There are alternatives to rushing 20-year-old Madison Bumgarner into the rotation.

Juan Uribe's a big league hitter who can play second until Sanchez returns.

There's a growing concern that the woeful defensive play of first baseman Aubrey Huff will require more than a right-handed hitter to play first against some left-handed pitchers.

The Madison Bumgarner that made his major league debut last September wasn't the same Madison Bumgarner we had heard so much about the past two years.

Instead of the low-to-mid-90s heat he used to blow away South Atlantic League hitters in 2008, Bumgarner was barely hitting 90 in his first career start. There was no specific reason as to why the readings on the radar gun was showing 88 or that it was showing 92 and 94.

With Spring Training beginning it's third week of play, a lot of interesting questions have sprung up around Giants' camp in Scottsdale.

1.) Is Madison Bumgarner going to start the year in San Francisco or Fresno?
2.) Is Fred Lewis going to be traded or released considering he has no minor league options left on his contract?
3.) When will Buster Posey supplant Bengie Molina in the starting lineup next season?

The Giants through the years are best known for home runs and heartbreak.

Four of the top 23 players on the career home run leaders’ list hit the bulk of their bombs while playing for the Giants.

All-time leader Barry Bonds hit most of his 762 homers in a Giants' uniform. Willie Mays (660) and Willie McCovey (521) did the same.

When Mays became the National League’s career home run king in 1966, he surpassed the mark of New York Giants' Hall of Famer, Mel Ott (511).

Whether in New York or San Francisco, the Giants have always played a prominent role in the history of the home run.

Barry Bonds is the all-time career home leader after belting 73 in 2001 to set the single-season record. He hit the bulk of them in the heart of the steroids era, but still thrilled fans across the country who were largely unaware of the controversy that would unfold later.

Willie Mays and Willie McCovey rank among the all-time career home run leaders, as does New York Giants legend Mel Ott.

The San Francisco Giants have built up a formidable starting rotation over the last two seasons. One could make the argument that it is top three in the majors, if not the best one completely. Tim Lincecum has won the Cy Young award in back-to-back seasons, Matt Cain is coming off a 14 win year in which his ERA dropped to 2.89, Barry Zito made a strong recovery late last season in which he upped his strikeout totals and lowered his walks and ERA from the previous two seasons.

Madison Bumgarner has huge upside and is an excellent option in NL-only leagues in 2010.

He could easily emerge as a mixed league option as well. He is a must grab in keeper leagues. I strongly believe he will make the rotation out of spring, and while the Giants likely will put him on an innings limit, he should pitch enough to be a fantasy asset. 10-0-120-3.90-1.25 in 150 IP

It's spring and no time to complain about anything that might or might not happen this summer.

The San Francisco Giants are favored by many to win the NL West. So, let's celebrate on day we enjoy our first extra hour of daylight.

OK. Celebration's over. A couple of things caught my on Saturday and, well, I'm concerned about what the summer will bring.

Giants fans who feel like playing right field at AT&T Park requires an advanced degree of some sort might be alarmed to hear that Aubrey Huff is talking about potentially seeing some action in right field.

Since the departure of Barry Bonds two seasons ago, the San Francisco Giants have undergone a youth movement—from the completely revamped and most feared starting rotation in the major leagues, to the likes of Pablo Sandoval and Eugenio Velez in the infield.

The Giants will be expecting big numbers from Sandoval, dubbed the “Kung-Fu Panda” by teammate Barry Zito...a nickname that has since stuck. They will also need contributions from Velez, who has been up and down for the last three seasons, as well as outfielder Fred Lewis.