If the Giants Want to Return to the Postseason, This Has to Change

San Francisco's pitching staff was among baseball's worst in 2026, and Buster Posey must address both the starting rotation and bullpen to get the Giants back into contention.

San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey. Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The San Francisco Giants failed in 2026. Point blank. They had an outside chance at making the playoffs, especially with some of the talent on the roster. Instead, the Giants finished in second-to-last place in the National League and took a step back in many ways.

It would be way too easy for anyone to sit here and blame everything on Buster Posey. Does he deserve blame? Absolutely, and the biggest indictment of Posey would be the type of player they bring in and when they do it.

The focus for the Giants this offseason needs to be on pitching. That was the biggest reason for their demise and needs to be the biggest priority this offseason.

Pitching Issues in 2026

San Francisco Giants pitcher Camilo Doval. Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 2026 Giants ranked 23rd in the league with a 4.34 team ERA. To buttress that staff, the starting rotation ranked 24th with a 4.48 staff ERA and the bullpen ranked 19th with a 4.14 ERA.

Those numbers simply aren't good enough for a team that had some expectations in 2026. The Giants also never had a closer in 2026, which was a huge problem. It took a lot for the Giants to move on from former All-Star closer Camilo Doval at the 2025 deadline and after unsuccessful tenures in New York and Pittsburgh, he's back with the Giants. Should he be the closer going into 2027? I don't think that would be a smart decision given his struggles this season.

The Giants should be spending top market in the relief role. Bryan Abreu should be a candidate for the Giants that would allow either him or Doval to be in the closer role and the other in the setup role. The good news is Doval has had a ton of success and is comfortable in San Francisco.

The starting rotation market is murky and questions need to be asked of the Giants staff. They had Tyler Mahle in 2026. He had a 5.13 ERA with the Giants and a 1.99 ERA with the Braves. Logan Webb regressed in 2026, though that might be due to injury and the WBC. Other guys did not show up.

The Giants' staff needs to be better at identifying what changes need to be made to the pitcher's arsenal in-season and using factors to their advantage. If the Braves can get that much of a drastic change out of Mahle, the Giants should be able to do so as well.