Giants vs Reds Picks and Prediction – 3/27/2025

Opening Day at Great American Ball Park features a solid pitching battle, with Logan Webb taking the mound for San Francisco and fireballer Hunter Greene starting for Cincinnati. Both teams come ready to shake off spring results and get the real thing going. The Giants closed spring with a five-game unbeaten stretch, including a 4-3 win over Detroit. The Reds wrapped up spring training with a 13-2 beatdown of Cleveland, but had some ugly outings before that. Elevate your MLB game with our top-notch MLB picks.

San Francisco is banking on Webb to anchor the rotation again after posting a 3.25 ERA and 1.07 WHIP last season over 216 innings - one of the most durable arms in the league. Offensively, the Giants are relying on veterans. They put together solid late spring form with four wins in five, showing more plate discipline and timely hitting. Newcomer Willy Adames should provide some pop in the middle of the order.

Defensively, the Giants are built on steady pitching and an infield that doesn’t beat itself. However, the bullpen could be a concern with Enny Romero banged up and Blayne Enlow already on the 60-day IL. San Francisco will also be without backup catcher Tom Murphy and outfielder Jerar Encarnacion. Webb doesn’t miss a ton of bats but limits hard contact and walks, so his ability to control the game tempo is going to be key here.

Cincinnati will look to take the next step with a young, high-upside roster and Greene entering his third year. He’s got electric stuff and racked up 152 strikeouts in just 112.2 innings last season. The Reds’ offense looked sharp this spring behind Elly De La Cruz and Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and new addition Austin Hays brings some experience to the top of the order. That 13-run spring finale shows how dangerous this lineup can be when it's clicking.

Defensively, the Reds are dealing with more injury issues than they'd like. Spencer Steer, Alexis Diaz, Tyler Stephenson, and Andrew Abbott are all sidelined to start the year. That means a thinner bullpen and less punch at the bottom of the lineup. Greene has the stuff to overpower hitters, but walks and command still raise red flags. 

Logan Webb’s consistency and ability to generate soft contact gives the Giants a slight edge over Greene’s higher-variance profile. Cincinnati's injuries also thin out both the bullpen and lineup depth, which could be exposed in a close game. San Francisco ended spring looking sharper and if they stay patient at the plate, they can scratch out enough runs to support Webb. Final Score Prediction: San Francisco Giants wins 5-3.