The Giants have one of the youngest lineups in the National League, much to the dismay of manager Bruce Bochy.  If you don’t count Aubrey Huff (and who does count Huff anymore?), then Angel Pagan at age 30 is the oldest everyday player. Most of the players are between 25 and 27 years old.

The problems that arise from such major league inexperience are painfully obvious to Giants fans. Leading the league in errors, failures to make correct plays and unproductive at-bats are all things that we have grown accustomed to dealing with lately. The Giants are averaging 3.64 pitches per plate appearance this season (the lowest average in the NL).

The silver lining is, of course, that the Giants are only six games out of first place behind the Dodgers. Pablo Sandoval is coming back soon, and Freddy Sanchez may eventually return too. There is other good news as well. San Francisco managed to put eight runs on the board without Sandoval on Friday night, and that’s the most they’ve scored at AT&T this season. Melky Cabrera is tied for the third-most hits in the NL with 51.

In general the Giants are learning. Both Brandon Crawford and Brandon Belt are getting more comfortable watching major league pitching. Gregor Blanco and Angel Pagan are showing a real knack for getting on base by any means possible.

And while there certainly are not enough home runs being hit, and there are far too many runners left on base (RISP), the Giants look to be trending upward. The pitching is still there; if Tim Lincecum seems a bit more of a disappointment so far this season, Barry Zito certainly is a bit more of a pleasant surprise.

Reaching the 40-game mark is important. It’s the one-quarter pole and a good time to make an assessment. To me it seems obvious that both Huff and Emmanuel Burriss need to be out of the lineup, and Bochy seems to be getting that message as well.

I believe that the more experience the young players get at this level the more they will be able to perform. Crawford has now hit safely in six of his last seven games. More bases are being stolen, and more walks are being taken.  

If the fielding errors can be reduced, and production at the plate can be even slightly improved then these Giants are going to be right in the mix late in the season. Perhaps equally as important it shows a team that is building a strong base for future seasons. These young guys have a real passion for the game and a hunger to prove they can be a championship team.

Bochy and Brian Sabean should both be congratulated, along with the coaching staff, for bringing together a very positive young team that is learning to work well as a unit and is also having a good time playing ball.

This is an exciting year to come out to the ballpark. The team is different; it’s growing and changing. I get the sense that anything is possible this year. I’m waiting for a real breakout game where the Giants put up double-digit runs. I’m hoping to see a few more shutouts from Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner. This is a great year for baseball in California. 

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