Early in the 2025 season, the San Francisco Giants led all of Major League Baseball in fielding percentage, signaling a strong defensive unit. However, that early promise has faded, as the team now ranks 19th in fielding percentage—raising concerns that defense may be shifting from a strength to a potential liability.
Expectations were high for the Giants’ defense heading into the year. With two reigning Gold Glove winners—Matt Chapman at third base and Patrick Bailey behind the plate—alongside the reliable Willy Adames at shortstop, the infield looked solid on paper. Additionally, the return of a healthy Jung Hoo Lee in center field was expected to bolster the outfield’s defensive coverage.
Despite that strong foundation, the drop in fielding efficiency suggests the unit has underperformed. Whether due to lapses in execution, injuries, or inconsistency across the roster, San Francisco’s defensive regression is something they’ll need to address if they hope to remain competitive through the rest of the season.
The San Francisco Giants’ defense has not quite lived up to preseason expectations. Despite having several standout defenders on paper, the team’s overall defensive performance has taken a hit. Willy Adames, in particular, has struggled at shortstop, committing eight errors—second-most among all MLB players so far this season.
SF Giants have struggled on defense in 2025 after a strong start
According to advanced defensive metrics, only Jung Hoo Lee and Matt Chapman have performed above league average defensively. The rest of the roster has mostly graded out as average or below, which has contributed to the team’s slide to 19th in fielding percentage after leading the league early on.
That said, the Giants are not without defensive bright spots. Chapman continues to play at a Gold Glove level at third base, and Patrick Bailey remains elite behind the plate—especially in pitch framing and controlling the run game.
As Jeff Young has previously noted, errors can be misleading when evaluating defense. While they have some value—especially in obvious cases—errors are a subjective stat and don’t always reflect the true quality of a team’s defensive play. A more holistic view that includes advanced metrics and individual contributions gives a clearer picture.
Taking everything into account, the Giants probably rank as an average defensive team right now. That’s not necessarily a bad place to be, but it does fall short of the vision Buster Posey outlined for the 2025 squad—a team built on strong defense, reliable pitching, and the ability to win tight games. In that context, even small defensive lapses can prove costly.
If the Giants can clean up some of the inconsistency and lean on their defensive anchors like Chapman, Bailey, and Lee, there’s still time to turn things around in the field. Strong individual defenders can help cover some deficiencies elsewhere, and incremental improvements across the roster could make a big difference down the stretch.