2025 season: Eliminated Sept. 24
With the Giants eliminated from the 2025 postseason, let’s take a look at the season that was in San Francisco, the questions the team must address this winter and the early outlook for next year.
Read more: MLB offseason previews 2025: What’s next for the White Sox, Rockies, Twins and more?
Things that went right
San Francisco excelled on the mound and ranked among the team ERA leaders all season. The success was primarily driven by the relief corps. Randy Rodríguez was as effective as any reliever in baseball until he landed on the IL in late August. Unfortunately, Rodríguez, who transitioned to the closer’s role after Camilo Doval was traded at the deadline, needed Tommy John surgery, which will sideline him for 2026. Tyler Rogers posted an absurd 38:4 K:BB ratio over 50 innings, which drove up his trade value and allowed the front office to ship him to the Mets for a prospect package. Doval was a solid closer before he was dealt to the Yankees, and after faltering in April as a closer, Ryan Walker mostly returned to form as a setup man.
The Giants were also fortunate to have two rotation standouts in Logan Webb and Robbie Ray. Already an ultra-reliable starter thanks to his durability and heavy groundball lean, Webb showed improvements by punching out batters at a higher rate. In his first full season since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023, Ray was even more effective than Webb. The January 2024 acquisition of Ray for Mitch Haniger and Anthony DeSclafani now looks like one of baseball’s most lopsided deals in recent memory.
Things that went wrong
The Giants ranked among the bottom half of baseball in run-scoring, largely due to a lack of impact players in the lineup. No one on the roster is on pace to hit 30 homers, drive in 90 runs, steal 15 bases or post an OPS above .800. Willy Adames might wind up leading the club in homers and RBI, but he got off to a slow start and by the end of the season will have contributed less than what was expected when he signed a $182 million contract last offseason.
Rafael Devers was supposed to become the team’s star when he was acquired in June, but he wasn’t much better than average. Patrick Bailey’s power stroke completely disappeared, and he struggled to keep his batting average above .200 all season. Finally, Tyler Fitzgerald couldn’t repeat the success of his breakout 2024 season, which led to multiple summer demotions to Triple-A. Not a single position player on this team exceeded expectations.
While the pitching staff was effective overall, the team struggled to fill out its rotation all season. Justin Verlander struggled badly at times during his age-42 season. Jordan Hicks flopped in the rotation and was eventually included in the Devers trade. Hayden Birdsong struggled to lower his walk rate, which resulted in a failed trial as a starter and a return to Triple-A.
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Offseason outlook
The Giants are mostly set around the infield, and they will count on some players to improve next year. One of them is Bailey, who must remain the No. 1 catcher due to his incredible defensive skills. The lineup would look much better if Bailey could push his OPS into at least the .650 range. The corner infield spots are set for several years, with Devers at first and Matt Chapman at third. Chapman and shortstop Adames provide excellent defense on the left side of the infield, though both will be looking for better offensive seasons. Casey Schmitt played well enough at second base to be considered for a full-time role but not well enough to have that role secured.
The outfield has just one name that can be written in pen: center fielder Jung Hoo Lee. Although not an impact player, Lee has a multi-year contract and fares well enough at the plate and in the field to maintain a heavy workload. Heliot Ramos will also be a lineup regular next season, but his poor defense in left field will have the organization considering a move to DH. After trading away pending free agent Mike Yastrzemski at the deadline, the team doesn’t have a strong candidate to play right field.
With Webb and Ray, the Giants can match the top two starters on any team in baseball. Unfortunately, things fall off quickly from there. Landen Roupp needs to lower his walk rate but easily pitched well enough this year to have a spot in the 2026 rotation. Birdsong could grab a spot as well, but he’ll need to show in spring training that he can more consistently hit the strike zone. Carson Whisenhunt and Kai-Wei Teng will compete for spots but didn’t show enough in late-season auditions to give them a leg up on the competition.
Even after trading away Doval and Rogers, the Giants are in a good place with their bullpen. Rodríguez and Walker give the team an effective closer and setup man. José Buttó, who came over in the Rogers trade, could audition for a rotation spot but will otherwise be a key reliever. Finding a reliable lefty will be important, as Joey Lucchesi is heading to free agency.
Prospects on the horizon
The good news: The Giants’ farm system took notable strides this year. The bad news: Those strides were mostly taken by players who are two or three years from reaching the majors.
Hulking first baseman Bryce Eldridge, the team’s first-round draft pick in 2023, is the one player who should make a major impact in 2026. Although he could stand to improve his plate discipline, Eldridge didn’t strike out at an alarming rate in the minors, which offers hope that he can have a smooth transition to a full-time role in San Francisco. He debuted in the second half of September amid the Giants’ playoff push. First base is currently blocked by Devers, but the team could use Devers or Eldridge as the regular DH.
Drew Gilbert could also contribute next year, though his prospect status has declined in recent years. A first-round pick by the Astros in 2022, Gilbert arrived in the Rogers trade. He has rarely raked in the minors and now projects as a depth outfielder rather than an impact player.
Whisenhunt will make every effort to build on his work with the Giants this year and earn a rotation spot in spring training. Blade Tidwell, another player acquired from the Mets in July, had a solid season in Triple-A and could compete for a spot as well.
Goals for 2026
Although president of baseball operations Buster Posey shifted into the role of seller at the trade deadline, he surely has plans to return the Giants to the postseason in 2026. Leapfrogging the Dodgers and Padres will be a tough task, and the Diamondbacks could rebound from a losing season in a hurry.
For the Giants to play in October, Posey will need to find contributors in right field and the rotation. He could settle for innings-eaters on the starting staff, but the lineup needs another impact hitter. Otherwise, the organization will cross its fingers that Devers immediately returns to the form that made him one of the most feared sluggers in baseball. They can also pin hopes on Eldridge becoming an impact player in his rookie year.
Fantasy focus
Fantasy managers will have a tough decision with Devers, who has been selected in the range of Round 2-3 for several years. Coming off a down year and no longer playing home games at Fenway Park will likely cause the veteran slugger to fall to Round 4-5.
Webb and Ray will follow Devers in 2026 drafts. Both profile as a low-end ace or high-end No. 2 starter on fantasy teams, and they should be selected in the range of Round 5-6. Rodríguez will be a popular pick as well, as managers speculate on his ability to combine his 2025 ratios with 35 saves. He should be selected among the top 10 relievers.
Adames and Chapman will have their names called in the middle rounds of drafts, and Ramos and Roupp will be popular picks in the late rounds.
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