By Jack Loder
The first quarter of the 2026 Giants’ season flew by. It doesn’t seem like all that long ago people were lecturing me about how early it is, and that we shouldn’t be troubled by April trends. Now it’s mid-May, a quarter of the marathon is in the rearview. And things have not gone particularly well for your Giants.
This ceremony is a summary of the entire body of work thus far, so in the interest of context, let’s stifle the current good vibes being enjoyed after a pair of impressive wins at Dodger Stadium.
Through 42 games, slightly more than ¼ of the baseball season. The Giants sit at 18-24. It looks a lot better than Sunday morning’s 15-24, but there is still a ton of work to be done by Tony Vitello and his crew in order for this club to reach its full potential. There have been more lows than highs during a tumultuous first month and a half for the Giants rookie manager.
The team has endured a brutally painful lineup wide slump for much of the first quarter, with the highest paid Giants failing to carry anywhere close to their weight. The ace on the mound has been subpar, and is now hampered by a knee injury. A crudely constructed bullpen has seen predictable rough patches and surprising triumphs. There have also been dramatic wins, strong individual performances, and some laughs. Here are some of the honors at the quarter mark.
MVP
Finalists – Landen Roupp, Luis Arraez, Casey Schmitt
Drum roll please! There hasn’t been a better all around Giant in 2026 than Luis Arraez. Arraez is batting .303 with a .712 OPS through 42 games, striking out just six times and driving in 14 runs. He’s been a mainstay on base, and continued to keep the lineup near water level when the big ticket players were struggling. The best part of the Luis Arraez experience? His defense. That’s right, the guy the Padres awkwardly stuck at first base because of his perceived ineptitude in the middle infield. All Arraez has done this year at second base is lead the position league wide in defensive runs saved, put together a legitimate highlight reel of web gems, and prove Ron Washington to be the greatest infield coach in the history of the game. Where the hell would the Giants be without Luis Arraez?
Cy Young
Finalists – Landen Roupp, Robbie Ray, Keaton Winn
Three finalists is purely for consistency’s sake. This was a two horse race, with Landen Roupp barely edging Robbie Ray for the prestigious KNBR quarter-season Giants’ Cy Young award. Roupp’s ascent to legit big league arm has been a huge feather in the cap of the Giants’ player development system. He leads the team in wins and strikeouts, with five and 51 respectively. Roupp’s masterpieces in the first few weeks of the season were consistent bright spots for a struggling Giants club. And his unintentional intentional plunking of Cincinnati’s Sal Steward that cemented his role as the attitude enforcer. Roupp continues his hopefully All-Star campaign on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium.
Most Disappointing
Finalists – Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman, Logan Webb, Willy Adames
That’s enough positivity for an 18-24 club. A huge reason the Giants have underachieved hugely this season has been the middle of the order struggling mightily. A month ago, Matt Chapman was the best of that offensive trio. But three nightmarish weeks later, Chapman has come from behind to claim the distinction of most disappointing 2026 Giant. ANd frankly, it was a loaded field. Chapman has just one home run on the season, and has seen his average dip nearly 100 points from its high mark on April 18. His .620 OPS is way down from his career mark, and his usually sterling defense hasn’t been as good as his standards. Chapman, who is losing some playing time slowly, desperately needs a signature hot stretch.
Pleasant Surprise
Finalists – Casey Schmitt, Landen Roupp, Jung Hoo Lee
I earlier asked where the Giants would be without Luis Arraez. A similar question can be posed regarding Casey Schmitt, whose 2026 surge has elevated the Giants in numerous wins, all while anchoring the lineup without a true home on defense. Schmitt leads the club with six homers, and blows the rest of the lineup completely out of the water with an .838 OPS that clears Heliot Ramos’s second place mark by 78 points. Schmitt has won himself a consistent spot in the lineup, but the historically streaky hitter now must keep it up.
It’s important to remember the bright spots, even after a less than ideal first 40. Here’s to the mid-season awards being a .500+ celebration.
