Looking back at the Giants’ biggest surprise in 2025

The The San Francisco Giants’ 2025 season was anything but predictable. What started as another year of moderate expectations turned into one of the most exciting and dramatic campaigns in franchise history. Projected to finish fourth in the National League West, the Giants instead became one of the league’s most unpredictable and entertaining teams. From midseason trades that shocked the baseball world to exit moments that looked like they were ripped from a movie, the Giants made sure fans never looked away.

No story was bigger than the June blockbuster that sent Raphael Devers from the Boston Red Sox to San Francisco. It wasn’t just a trade – it was a statement. The Giants, long stuck in baseball purgatory, finally went all-in to win. In exchange for top prospects Kyle Harrison, James Tibbs III and heavy reliever Jordan Hicks, San Francisco received a franchise cornerstone in Devers, one of the most consistent bats in the majors.

The move stunned the baseball world. Devers was the face of the Red Sox, coming off a 10-year contract extension and another All-Star season. But when internal disputes and positional conflicts boiled over in Boston, the Giants pounced. “He’s tailor-made for us,” manager Bob Melvin said after the deal. “He’s a powerful lefty who can hit to all fields — exactly what you want at Oracle Park.”

Devers’ arrival immediately transformed the lineup and gave San Francisco a legitimacy it hadn’t had in years. He became one of only three players in the past half-century to appear in 163 regular-season games, thanks to the midseason schedule. The presence of the former Silver Slugger has bolstered an offense that has struggled to find a true superstar since the days of Buster Posey.

Patrick Bailey had a season highlight for the Giants

While Devers’ arrival was the main theme of the summer, the team’s unpredictability is what made 2025 memorable. The Giants led the biggest walk-off wins, including some of the craziest finishes the game has seen in years. A walk. “Little League” homer by Heliot Ramos. And then came Patrick Bailey’s inside-the-park home run — a play so incredible that even longtime fans can hardly believe it.

In early July, with two runners on and the Giants trailing the Phillies 3–1, Bailey blasted a ball off the right-center wall. Oracle Park’s shortcomings turned what would have been a home run anywhere else into chaos. As the ball ricocheted off the bricks and rolled deep into Triples Alley, Bailey took off around the bases, sliding home to an eruption of 40,000 fans. The Giants won 4-3. It was the first walk in the park by a catcher in nearly a century, and it perfectly captured the energy of the Giants’ season — raw, chaotic and unforgettable.

PATRICK BAILEY

WALK-OFF INSIDE-THE-PARK HOME RUN@SFGIANTS WIN! pic.twitter.com/kvsvjv2fLP

— MLB (@MLB) July 9, 2025

“I just saw him bounce and said, ‘I’ve got to go,'” Bailey said, smiling, after the game. “I’m glad I didn’t fall before I got home.”

Moments like that fueled the belief that the Giants were building something real. Logan Webb continued to evolve into one of the best pitchers in baseball, leading the National League in strikeouts for the first time while maintaining his elite ground ball rate. Willie Adames and Matt Chapman anchored the defense in the infield, while Ramos and Casey Schmidt became key pieces of the future. Even with the losses, the Giants were rarely out of games — a testament to the team’s newfound resilience under Melvin.

Yet despite their struggles, San Francisco finished just after the postseason, stuck in the middle of the league’s most competitive division. But that doesn’t mean the story ends here. The Devers trade was the first step in the team’s transformation. The second step may be coming this offseason.

The Giants’ signing of Rafael Devers was a glimpse into their future

All eyes are now on Beau Bichetformer Toronto Blue Jays star who headlines the free agent class this winter. Bichet’s elite contact skills, consistent production and willingness to switch from shortstop to second base make him a natural fit in San Francisco’s lineup. MLB insider Andrew Simon called the Giants “a perfect fit,” noting that Bichet’s line-drive swing is ideal for the dimensions of Oracle Park. If you pair him with Devers, Adames and Chapman, the Giants could provide a top pitch — not just defensively, but offensively as well.

For Bichet, the move would mean joining a team that has proven it is serious about winning. For the Giants, it would mark the completion of one of the most dramatic turnarounds in baseball. After years of hovering around .500, they would finally have a core capable of going up against the Dodgers and Braves.

The 2025 season was a reminder of what can happen when a team stops playing it safe. Between Devers’ blockbuster arrival, Bailey’s miraculous home run and Webb’s ascent into ace territory, the Giants gave their fans something they hadn’t felt in years — genuine excitement for what’s to come.

If the front office can add Beau Bichet to the mix, that excitement could turn into something much bigger. San Francisco’s 2025 season was full of surprises, but 2026 could be the year those surprises turn into something historic.