San Francisco Giants Unveil Electric Light Show For Their Elite Closer
After rumors swirled about what the San Francisco Giants' new lights might look like when their closer enters the game, they finally were able to unveil it and the feedback was fantastic.
The San Francisco Giants have one of Major League Baseball's top closers in Camilo Doval.
The right-hander is a homegrown talent after signing with them as an international free agent in 2015 at 18 years old. Four seasons later he cracked their Top 30 prospects list for the first time until he was called up in 2021.
Since that point, he's been incredible for the Giants, posting a career ERA+ of 146 over his 173 appearances and 169 1/3 innings pitched.
His 84.7% save conversion rate is just shy of some of the top closers in baseball like Craig Kimbrel (88.7%), Kenley Jansen (88.1%), and Josh Hader (86.5%).
Doval really burst onto the scene in 2023 when he was selected to his first All-Star game and finished tied for first in most National League saves (39).
On Monday, San Francisco finally was able to introduce their new ballpark lights for the first time when their closer was called upon in the ninth inning to close out the game against the New York Mets.
Elite closers deserve elite entrances, and Doval got that at Oracle Park last night.
"I knew they were going to do the light show, but I didn't have an idea it was going to be like that. It looked like a movie," he said to reporters after the game.
He wasn't the only Giants player who was impressed by the new feature in their home ballpark, either.
"That had to be one of the coolest things I've ever seen. We've been waiting for that moment for how many games now? And we finally got to see it tonight. The spotlight is so cool," fellow pitcher Ryan Walker said on NBC Sports Bay Area's Giants Postgame Live.
One might wonder what old school manager Bob Melvin thinks of these antics, but it sounds like he's all for it if his players and the fans enjoy the experience.
"If he likes it, it's fine. If fans like it, that's what it's all about," he said with a smile.
San Francisco probably hopes they don't have to use the lights too many times in these high pressure situations as they would prefer to already be holding a large enough lead where they don't have to hand the ball to their closer.
If that's the case, then maybe they'll find another way to use their new lights to keep giving players and fans this incredible experience.
