2009 San Francisco Giants season

The 2009 San Francisco Giants season was the Giants' 127th year in Major League Baseball, their 52nd year in San Francisco since their move from New York following the 1957 season, and their tenth at AT&T Park. After four consecutive losing seasons, the team finished in third place in the National League West with an 88–74 record, 7 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. Following Peter Magowan's retirement, Bill Neukom served as general managing partner of the Giants.^[1] After a season with the fewest home runs of any team since the 1993 Florida Marlins,^[2] general manager Brian Sabean said the Giants would attempt to bring in a power hitter as well as strengthening a bullpen that held a 4.45 ERA in 2008, 14th in the National League.^[3][4]

After leading the National League Wild Card race for most of the season, the Giants were ultimately passed by the Colorado Rockies. The team finished third in the NL West and second in the Wild Card. Though they missed the playoffs, the Giants surpassed most expectations for their season; for example, Sports Illustrated projected that the Giants would finish with a record of 77–85.^[5] Sports Illustrated's Lee Jenkins noted San Francisco's promising farm system (including products Pablo Sandoval and Madison Bumgarner) and the perceived weakness of the NL West as reasons to be optimistic about the Giants' potential.^[6] Additionally, the Giants' starting rotation boasted three Cy Young Award winners: Randy Johnson, Tim Lincecum, and Barry Zito. After the season ended, Lincecum won his second straight Cy Young.^[7] The Giants would build on their surprising 2009 season the following year, winning the World Series. It would be their first in San Francisco.