What Could End Up Being the 2026 San Francisco Giants Achilles’ Heel?
The San Francisco Giants open the 2026 season with new hope. They upgraded their offense by bringing in three-time batting champion Luis Arraez. For the outfield, they brought in veteran outfielder Harrison Bader to lock down the center field position. However, the part of the roster that the front office did not make any noticeable upgrades in was the bullpen. To start the season, the Giants have eight pitchers coming out of the bullpen. Most are familiar faces and names who ended the 2025 season in San Francisco, including Ryan Walker, Erik Miller, Jose Butto, Matt Gage, Keaton Winn, and JT Brubaker. One of the newest additions to the roster, Ryan Borucki, brings a veteran presence as someone who has spent parts of eight seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Lastly, a former Giants prospect, Caleb Kilian, has found his way back to San Francisco. He struggled in his time with the Chicago Cubs, but looks to turn the page by becoming a solid member of the bullpen this season.
Similar to the second half of last season, they do not have a set closer or established late-inning arms. Of the returning Giants, Walker has the most experience in the ninth inning. He had a great season in 2024, where he finished 80 innings of work and kept a 1.91 earned run average through 76 games pitched. However, he had a less successful 2025 season. Over 68 appearances, he pitched a bit over 61 innings and a 4.11 earned run average. The 30-year-old struggled to keep the closer role last season following the departure of Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval. Despite that, Walker should still be new manager Tony Vitello’s first choice, at least to begin the season. However, if history repeats itself with the former Washington State Cougar, it could force Vitello’s hand. Furthermore, if Miller, Gage, or Butto step up to show they can handle high-pressure situations, they may be called upon to take over.
The bullpen seems average to good at best. However, if they work together as a unit, they will be able to keep the Giants competitive and win games. At this point, it looks unlikely that the front office will continue adding. However, if the existing group in the bullpen does not step up, it could become the Giants achilles’ heel and limit their success this season.
