One area the San Francisco Giants need to hone in on this offseason is their pitching depth. While they just set a new record for players used in a single season, the Giants still finished fourth in the NL West and well below the .500 mark. A large reason was lackluster pitching and injuries.
Logan Webb 's 2026 season raises questions on the ace status in San Francisco , but rest assured, he's still one of the better pitchers in the rotation. Buster Posey could go out and make some veteran additions to complement the rotation, but he might not have to look far to strengthen the back end.
Two pitchers who emerged for the Giants in the second half of the season and helped ensure the franchise wouldn't lose 100 games are the same two pitchers who deserve a shot at earning a starting rotation role next spring training.
San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Wilkinson (71) follows through on a pitch. Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Debuting near the end of August, Matt Wilkinson made his presence known on the Giants pitching staff. Ending his season with back-to-back outings against the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers , Wilkinson held his own for a 23-year-old against Major League Baseball's juggernaut.
In a combined eight innings across two starts, Wilkinson allowed four hits, one run, one walk and struck out eight Dodger batters. Not to mention, Wilkinson has one of the better nicknames in the sport today (Tugboat) and the Giants need some personality on the mound in this stacked division.
Ending his small 2026 sample size with a 3.58 ERA, 20 strikeouts in 27.2 innings, manager Tony Vitello knows that Wilkinson could raise the competition in the starting pitching department for years to come.
"He's equally good on lefties and righties, so I think he can be that one-inning guy. He's already shown that he could be a long relief guy. So why not find out if he can start and push it to the brink?" Vitello said of Wilkinson.
San Francisco Giants pitcher Anthony Molina (45) pitches at Busch Stadium. Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Sometimes a change of scenery is all it takes for a player to find his groove, and in 29 innings with the Giants, Anthony Molina found his groove. Having been a negative WAR player with the Colorado Rockies and Atlanta Braves , Molina came to San Francisco and is forcing his hand.
Making five starts for the franchise, Molina posted a 3.73 ERA, which gave him a season ERA of 3.97, having played with Atlanta for three games earlier in the year. While he hasn't had much success in the bigs before this season, Molina might be turning a page on his career.
Given that a handful of Giants pitchers this season had bloated ERAs, Molina deserves a chance to compete for a starting rotation job this offseason, and even if he comes up short, he would complement the bullpen nicely.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/giants/onsi as 2 Giants Who Deserve a Shot to Earn a Spot in the 2027 Starting Rotation .
