Giants Reliever Ryan Walker Makes Clear What Role He Wants in Bullpen

The San Francisco Giants have a stocked bullpen going into 2026, but Ryan Walker knows the job he wants.

San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Ryan Walker pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

There are plenty of pressure-filled jobs in Major League Baseball. One that many teams struggle with is closer.

Ninth inning. Three outs. Usually a one- or two-run lead. The pitcher who inherits that high-leverage situation has nowhere to hide. Some pitchers don’t want that smoke. Don’t count San Francisco Giants reliever Ryan Walker among them.

San Francisco players were in San Jose for Giants FanFest activities last weekend and Walker was among them. In a conversation with Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (subscription required), he made it clear what role he wants in the bullpen.

“I’ll take any high-leverage role — but at the end of the day, I want that closer role,” he said.

The deck is clear. Camilo Doval was traded last July. Randy Rodriguez is out for the year after Tommy John surgery. But can Walker deliver on his intent?

Ryan Walker as Giants Closer

San Francisco Giants pitcher Ryan Walker high-fives teammates after a win. | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

Walker has been the guy before. In parts of two seasons in the role, he’s already experienced the highs and lows of the ninth inning.

He emerged as the closer in 2024 after Doval struggled and ended up being sent to the minor leagues to work on his control. Walker, then a setup man, pounced. His season numbers were terrific — 10-4 with a 1.91 ERA in 80 innings, with 10 saves. He struck out 99 and walked 18. Doval was still under contract and he returned in 2025, but at minimum it looked like closer would be a time-share.

Walker thrived early as he converted five saves in the first month of the season. But, after blowing a save on April 20, Doval got an opening. San Francisco still used Walker — he had 10 saves by the end of May. But, in June, Doval became the primary closer and Walker fell back into a setup role alongside Rodriguez, who was putting together an All-Star season.

Then, Doval’s value and Rodriguez’s emergence was too much for San Francisco to ignore. The Giants traded Doval to the New York Yankees and Rodriguez received more chances in the ninth inning. Then, Rodriguez got hurt. So, Walker return to the ninth inning and got the job done. From Aug. 24 to the end of the season, he had seven saves in nine chances.

Walker said to Slusser that he liked his pitch shapes this offseason and that could translate into a better 2026. His Baseball Savant data sheds some light on why his numbers swung from 2024 to 2025.

In 2024 his sinker-slider combo was dominant. His xERA (2.63), his xBA (.193), his strikeout rate (32.1%) and his hard-hit rate (30.2%) were all in the 90th percentile or better. In 2025, those numbers plummeted, except for the hard-hit rate (35.6%) which was 86th percentile. It contributed to a career-worst 4.12 ERA.

His Baseball Savant page indicates he induced more break with his pitches in 2024 than in 2025. If those pitch shapes really are where he wants them, he might make new manager Tony Vitello’s job in the ninth inning much easier.