Buster Posey was an integral piece to the Giants' three World Series wins in San Francisco, and now he is part of the franchise's ownership group as it looks to return to its former championship glory.
Luckily for the Giants, Posey knows exactly what that will take -- and it has little to do with signing a superstar in free agency.
In an interview with The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly, Posey was asked how San Francisco can fill the void left by his retirement. Giants fans have gotten used to having "compelling" players to root for, Baggarly noted, like Posey, Barry Bonds and Tim Lincecum, but Brandon Crawford is the only championship-era favorite left on a roster that looks a bit different these days.
"Well, most of those guys you mentioned, we all came up through the system," Posey told Baggarly. "Obviously not Barry. But most of us were drafted by the Giants and I’m so hopeful that we get some young players who understand the opportunity in front of them.
"Because they’re really the secret sauce to winning another championship."
After offseason sagas involving Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa, San Francisco didn't bring in a big name this winter to help bolster its 2023 lineup. However, the Giants did make several key additions that objectively improve the roster from last season like outfielders Michael Conforto and Mitch Haniger, along with reliever Taylor Rogers.
But for Posey, the potential for excitement lies with the Giants' youth.
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"From my perspective as a fan, I hope Michael Conforto hits those 35 home runs. That would be awesome to watch," Posey told Baggarly. "Now, this is nothing against Conforto, but if a 23-year-old came up and hit 35 homers, that would be a lot more exciting to me. Because now we get to say, 'This guy is a stud and hopefully we’ll be able to watch him for the next 10-15 years.'
"It can have a cascading effect. Once you get a few young guys come up and prove to the rest of the minor league system, it becomes, 'Hey, we were playing with Brandon Belt in A-ball last year and now he’s homering in the opening series against the Dodgers.' I do think there’s a psychological component as well. Maybe if we have a couple young guys come up and really contribute -- I’m not talking about nice players, I’m talking about impact, All-Star caliber players -- that’s when we’ll see the fanbase be really excited about being able to grasp on to great players for a long period of time."
Giants fans were spoiled by an abundance of impactful homegrown players during the franchise's dynasty from 2010-2014, and the list of impact players who came up through the farm system and contributed to those World Series runs almost is too long to name.
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But it's clear Posey believes that can happen again with the young talent the Giants have fostered since. From pitcher Kyle Harrison to infielders Casey Schmitt and Marco Luciano, there's plenty for fans to look forward to.
"I don’t know that I would say, 'Be patient.' I mean, make sure you enjoy the team in front of you," Posey said. "Not be patient. But be hopeful that we’ve got some great young talent on the horizon."