San Francisco Giants Are Wasting Future Ace by Using Him in Bullpen

The San Francisco Giants may be making a bad choice with their current pitching staff.

Sep 23, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Hayden Birdsong (60) throws in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants are one of the stories of the season in the early going with a record of 19-10 headed into the new week.

Against all odds, the Giants find themselves on top of the biggest gauntlet of a division in baseball a full month into the year despite not being expected by most to make serious noise.

It's still early in a long season, but San Francisco is finding ways to win the kinds of games that they couldn't last year and for the better part of the last decade.

In terms of the pitching staff, the Giants are second in all of baseball in bullpen ERA with a team mark of 2.30.

A huge part of the reason for that is the emergence of young right-hander Hayden Birdsong, who made the roster following what was a dominant spring training.

Though he was put on the team, he did not crack the starting rotation, and with the way he is pitching right now, San Francisco may be making a huge mistake by keeping him in the bullpen.

In seven appearances and 16 innings, Birdsong has pitched to a ridiculous 1.13 ERA and 1.063 WHIP, allowing just two runs and 11 hits on the season as a whole. He has also struck out 18 compared to just six walks.

While it is incredible to have a force like that available as a long reliever, it's worth asking the question whether or not the Giants are utilizing the talents of the young 23-year-old in the most impactful way possible.

Despite the bullpen being one of the best, a 4.20 ERA from the starting rotation collectively places them No. 22 in all of baseball.

Simply stated, a team cannot afford to not be one of the 20 best starting rotations in baseball and still contend for anything serious.

There have been some encouraging signs that point to things potentially improving, such as a couple of quality starts in a row from Justin Verlander.

While things may get better if they continue to stay the course, San Francisco might also be relegating their most talented pitcher to a role as a reliever.

It's tempting not to mess with a good thing, but if Birdsong keeps up the incredible pace he is currently on, it's going to be difficult to continue keeping him out of the starting rotation.