Are the Giants really any better than they were last season?

Here we are 131 games into the season.  They have a record of  72-59. There are another 31 games left and to the casual observer the Giants this season would be a better team than the team we had last season right?

That's extremely debatable.

But Aaron Rowand and Edgar Renteria are on the bench!  We have Aubrey Huff and Pat Burrell!  Buster Posey instead of Bengie Molina!  Hell, even Jose Guillen is hitting .372 since coming over from the Royals!

Sure those names sound better than Fred Lewis, Randy Winn, and Rich Aurillia.  But does the result on the field look any different?

Exhibit A:

Through 131 games last season the Giants had a record of ............. 72-59.  they were 6 games back in the standings to the LA Dodgers.  Well I guess since they are only 5 back of the Padres they must be doing something right!

Exhibit B:

Last season the Giants team Batting Average was .257.  This season it's .263.  or about the difference that Jose Guillen's .372 has been making over the last week or 2

Exhibit C:

The pitching has been much more dominant!  Last season's ERA 3.55 to this season's 3.70!  Yes the pitching this season, this includes the starting pitching and the bullpen, has a HIGHER ERA  than the Giants pitchers put up last season.

The Giants need to go 16-15 the rest of the season to match last season's 88-74 record.  After losing 2 out of 3 to the Diamondbacks that looks like a tall order.  The hitting is prone to go into deep sleep and the pitchers just look worn out.  From Tim Lincecum's struggles to Jonathan Sanhez's inconsistency.  The only thing that is saving this season right now is the fact that the padres may finally be fading having lost 4 in a row and the Giants still have 7 games left with them.

At this point, the Giants are what they are.

They are a mediocre team in a mediocre division.  The fact that the entire National League seems to be mediocre helps their situation tremendously in the wild-card hunt.  There is no team that looks capable of running off 10 wins in a row right now.  So the Giants should remain in the postseason picture until the very end of the season.

I want to say it will be a fun ride.  But based on the season so far, I think it is going to be more like a torturous one.