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Giants Found Unexpected Pitching Depth Amid Injury-Ravaged Season
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- Giants Found Unexpected Pitching Depth Amid Injury-Ravaged Season
(© Tim Vizer-Imagn Images)
There is no reason to minimize what happened to the San Francisco Giants in 2026. They endured another deeply disappointing season .
San Francisco finished 65-97, recording its third-highest loss total since the franchise moved to the city in 1958.
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The Giants also missed the postseason for the fifth consecutive year and finished 35 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West.
Tony Vitello completed his first season as manager, and the results likely fell well short of what he envisioned when he accepted the position.
However, not every development from the season was negative.
As San Francisco begins an extremely important offseason, the organization must identify the encouraging developments that emerged from a difficult 2026 campaign.
The Giants have numerous problems to solve .
San Francisco's pitching staff was a major disappointment during the season.
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Giants' rotation will have many options
Hayden Birdsong, Carson Whisenhunt and Trevor McDonald underwent Tommy John surgery. Blade Tidwell suffered a UCL sprain late in the year, while Adrian Houser finished the season with a right flexor strain.
The Giants used those unfortunate circumstances to evaluate several pitchers who may not have received an opportunity without the significant number of injuries.
Anthony Molina impressed after San Francisco acquired him from the Atlanta Braves in the Tyler Mahle trade. He posted a 3.72 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 29 innings over six appearances (five starts).
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Cesar Perdomo, Yunior Marte and Matt Wilkinson also received opportunities to take the mound and demonstrate what they could offer.
Perdomo recorded a 3.65 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 24.2 innings across five appearances (four starts).
Marte finished with a 4.44 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 24.1 innings over five appearances (three starts).
Wilkinson went 1-3 with a 3.58 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in 27.2 innings across eight appearances (six starts).
None of those pitchers should already be guaranteed a place in the 2027 rotation. Their performances also came in small sample sizes that require further evaluation.
However, the Giants entered the last weeks of the season searching for pitching depth and finished with several additional candidates to examine during spring training.
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Plenty of potential available
Molina's ability to handle both starting and relief assignments gives San Francisco useful flexibility. He arrived through an in-season trade, adapted quickly and made a favorable impression despite joining a struggling team.
His willingness to accept changing responsibilities could help him compete for a roster place without requiring the Giants to commit to one specific role.
Perdomo, Marte and Wilkinson also gave San Francisco alternatives during an injury crisis. Each pitcher demonstrated enough to earn another look rather than allowing difficult circumstances to overwhelm the opportunity.
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The Giants still need proven pitching additions, but these internal candidates can create competition. Spring training will determine whether any of them can turn a brief opportunity into a dependable role.
