The Giants’ 2026 season didn’t unfold the way anyone around the club expected. San Francisco finished fourth in the NL West and fell short of the Wild Card chase many had circled before the year began, turning what looked like a promising campaign into one of the more frustrating ones in baseball.
Even so, the year wasn’t empty. Injuries hit the roster and helped drag the team down, but the season also clarified something important for the Giants: there are multiple bats here that can carry the offense moving forward.
When the year is stacked up player by player, three names clearly separated themselves from the pack. No pitcher made the cut this time, because nobody on the mound truly rose above the rest.
Bryce Eldridge is the biggest reason for optimism. In his first full season with San Francisco after appearing in 10 games in 2025, the 21-year-old settled in more and more as the year went on.
He played 107 games and finished with a .269 batting average, 17 home runs, 57 RBIs and a 2.1 WAR. The strikeouts were there too - 119 of them - and that’s something the Giants will have to keep an eye on as he develops.
But the upside is obvious. Eldridge brings real power, and he gives San Francisco a promising long-term option at first base.
He also showed growth on the mental side. Before going on the 7-day IL with a concussion, Eldridge said he felt he had learned how to keep himself steady over the course of the season, not letting his emotions swing too far in either direction.
Jung Hoo Lee followed with the kind of season that keeps a player in the center of the fan conversation. In his third year with the Giants, the outfielder set career highs in batting average (.276), home runs (10), RBIs (57), stolen bases (12) and matched his career best with 31 doubles.
His game still plays because of the little things - the slap hitting, the timely at-bats, the long hitting streaks that keep the lineup moving. Even with the team dealing with injuries around him, Lee helped make sure the offense stayed competitive.
There’s still another level for him, too. If he tightens things up defensively in right field, he could become the kind of all-around player every team wants in today’s game. San Francisco also has him under contract through 2029, unless he opts out after the 2027 season.
Then there’s Rafael Devers, who reminded everyone exactly why he’s such a dangerous hitter. His first full season with the Giants started slowly, but the finish made the point loud and clear: this is still a power bat built to change games. Devers hit 37 home runs, including 18 after the All-Star Game, and posted a .275 average with a .988 OPS.
That power also put him in rare company. Through his first 222 games with San Francisco, Devers launched 48 home runs, making him just the third player in franchise history to reach that mark in that span, alongside Willy Mays and Barry Bonds.
His season ended with core surgery, but the expectation is that he’ll be healthy for 2027. For the Giants, that’s a huge development.
When Devers is right, he’s a legitimate MVP-level threat, and he’s now proven he can do it in both Boston and San Francisco.
In Other News...
Giants Face A Tough Offseason Roster Call They Cant Dodge
The Giants already have one offseason housekeeping issue staring them in the face before the hot stove really gets going: 17 players will need to come off the 60-day injured list, and every one of those moves will ripple through a 40-man roster that never has much room to breathe. It is the kind of accounting task that can force a club to make hard choices early, especially when the roster crunch is coming from injuries rather than performance.
There is at least a little flexibility in the margins, since San Francisco does not have a long list of looming free agents to sort through. Backup catcher Knizner and pitcher Brubaker could both make sense on low-cost returns, while the club also has a decision on Wicks 2027 option as his injury situation remains part of the equation. For the Giants, the challenge is less about chasing splash and more about clearing space without backing themselves into a corner. [Read more 🡒]
Robbie Ray Just Reminded Giants Fans Of Their Bigger Rotation Problem
Robbie Rays first NLDS start with the Padres was a reminder of how volatile his season has been since leaving San Francisco. He lasted 2 and 2/3 innings in Game 1, allowing two earned runs on four hits and two walks, which fit the uneven regular-season stretch he put together after the trade. In nine starts with San Diego, he finished with a 5.02 ERA, a line that says as much about the risk the Giants moved on from as it does about Ray himself.
For San Francisco, the bigger issue is that the trade only sharpened an old concern instead of solving it. The Giants have spent recent seasons searching for reliable rotation answers, and moving Ray was part of that ongoing attempt to sort out the pitching depth chart. Even if the decision made sense at the time, his postseason appearance only adds another layer to the question of whether the Giants have done enough to stabilize a staff that has too often been forced to piece things together. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Enter Defining Offseason With Too Many Roster Holes To Ignore
The Giants head into the winter with a long list of needs after a 97-loss season, and the front offices shopping list is already taking shape. Starting pitching depth sits near the top, the bullpen needs more support, and the lineup could use a right-handed-hitting outfielder to better balance the roster for 2027.
Buster Posey has publicly sounded upbeat about the clubs chances of getting back into contention next year, but optimism alone will not cover all the gaps. San Francisco is also looking at internal competition behind the plate while trying to sort out an infield that needs a cleaner mix, so this offseason could wind up defining how quickly the Giants can turn the page. [Read more 🡒]