Well, here we are. It’s September, and the season is nearly done, along with the San Francisco Giants’ playoff chances.

It was only a matter of time. Teams ranking in the bottom half of nearly every statistical category across baseball don’t sneak their way into the playoffs, no matter how magical of a run they had in July. Since the beginning of August, the Giants are 11-19. Since my unintentional jinx on the team, they have gone 1-6. They’re once again the tanking team we’ve come to know and love the past three seasons.

And yet, this hopeless September doesn’t seem so… well, hopeless. The Giants may have no shot at October baseball, but for the first time in a while, there’s a vision of a future that isn’t mired with seasons of 90+ losses, and a big reason why is…

/checks notes

… the outfield?

That’s right, what has been a black hole of production in recent years has transformed this season into a net positive. Not a particularly significant positive — at a mere 3.5 fWAR, the Giants outfield corps is light years behind the league-leading Los Angeles Dodgers’ astronomical 15.3 fWAR — but hey, compared to the outfield production the Giants got in 2018, it’s an All-Star performance.

Of course, 2019 is just one season. There’s no guarantee the Giants will sustain this level of performance in the outfield, let alone build upon it. But hope isn’t just about what’s guaranteed. It’s about potential, and somehow, the Giants outfield is chock-full of it.

This group of outfielders might not just be good; they might be good for a long time. Let’s take a look at who stands to contribute in the long-term.

You can’t talk about the 2019 outfield without mentioning Mike Yastrzemski. By fWAR, he has accounted for nearly half of the entire outfield’s collective production. He’s closing in on 20 home runs, which would make him the second Giants outfielder this season to accomplish this Herculean feat this season. Except, unlike Kevin Pillar, he’ll do it in about 200 fewer at-bats. Extrapolate for a full season of at-bats, and we might be crowning Yastrzemski as the long-awaited 30-homer messiah.

Is this performance sustainable? Maybe. Is this a prelude to a Jose Bautista–style emergence? Probably not. But as Bryan wrote back in August, Yastrzemski’s power and approach at the plate seem well-suited for this power-and-strikeout-happy era of baseball. It’s not far-fetched to believe he could regularly put up 3+ WAR seasons, especially if he becomes more patient at the plate.

That may be a tall order for a nearly 30-year-old rookie. However, Farhan Zaidi has shown a knack for finding castoffs and tapping into their potential. If he could do it with Max Muncy, why not Yastrzemski?

Jaylin Davis

Brady did a better job than I could describing what Jaylin Davis’ call-up means for this team, so just read his article instead. Still, it’s worth repeating that in just 117 plate appearances in Sacramento, the 25-year-old right fielder has already hit 10 home runs. Mauricio Dubón might have been the steal of the trade deadline, but in terms of raw power potential, Davis could turn into the bigger star.

Of course, it remains to be seen if the power will play in the majors. He wouldn’t be the first power-hitting minor leaguer swallowed up by the confines of Oracle Park.

Still, 117 plate appearances, 10 home runs.

Austin Slater seems to have disappeared from the limelight in recent weeks, which is strange, because he’s actually been playing better than Yastrzemski. In about 150 plate appearances, he’s put up 1.5 fWAR.

And yet, he’s not starting. Forgive yet another reference to a fellow writer on this site, but as Kenny stated previously, the wannabe super-utility player has been turned into a glorified platoon bat.

Is that Slater’s ceiling? The 114 wRC+ against right-handers suggests otherwise, even if the strikeout rate against same-handed pitchers is worrisome. But what’s likely a bigger point in his favor is his (alleged) versatility. Just this year at AAA, he’s started three games in center, five games in left, six games in right, 35 games at first, six games at second, and nine games at third. It’s unclear if he plays any of those positions well, but having a player who can jump around the entire field never hurts, especially if his bat makes up for the lackluster defense.

At only 26 years old, Slater still carries a lot of promise. He may not turn into Ben Zobrist, but he may turn into Kiké Hernández. From a utility player, super or otherwise, that’s fantastic.

Heliot Ramos

Hey, if we’re going to wishcast, why not go all out? Heliot Ramos just finished off a breakout season in the minors, finishing with a line of .290/.369/.481. Despite his numbers dipping in Richmond, there’s already speculation he’ll make an appearance in San Francisco by next season, at the tender age of 20.

That will largely depend on his performance at AA and eventually AAA (unless he gets the Matt Duffy treatment), but it’s clear the kid has the tools to succeed at the highest level.

My prediction? Ramos will get a May call-up and proceed to hit 80 home runs, launching the Giants into the playoffs and reinstating EYBS.

Yeah, that (probably) won’t happen. But for the first time in a long time, we can dream about an outfield that’s actually, truly, honestly good.