The Giants have already been knocked out of the playoff picture by tie-breaking procedures, and the math around the rest of their 2026 season is brutally simple: there’s no rescuing a year that has them 23 games under .500 with 15 games left and 27.5 games back of the Dodgers in the NL West.
Still, the last stretch has not been completely empty. San Francisco just swept a St.
Louis Cardinals club that is still clawing for a postseason berth, and the schedule ahead gives the Giants a chance to keep spoiling things for teams with real October stakes. Their final 15 games come against the Dodgers, Cardinals, San Diego Padres and Minnesota Twins, all of whom are chasing playoff spots.
For a team with nothing left to chase in the standings, that at least creates a path toward something useful: a little momentum, a little confidence, and maybe a few answers before a critical offseason.
The clearest reason for optimism right now is the middle of the order, where Rafael Devers and Bryce Eldridge are finally starting to look like the kind of tandem San Francisco imagined. They’ve been together for most of the season, but only recently has the pairing really started to show its teeth.
Devers has been scorching in September, hitting .367/.486/1.000 with five home runs and 13 RBI in just eight games. Eldridge has been productive too, posting a .323/.439/.548 line in what has been the best month of an already strong rookie season.
Manager Tony Vitello has settled on a lineup that keeps Devers in the No. 2 spot and Eldridge right behind him at No. 3.
That setup gives each hitter protection and makes it harder for opponents to work around either bat. It also gives the Giants something they can actually build around, since Devers is signed through 2033 and Eldridge is only 21 years old.
There’s more youth worth watching down the stretch as well. The Giants brought up outfield prospects Turner Hill and Jonah Cox in mid-August, and both have adjusted quickly to the big leagues. Matt "Tugboat" Wilkinson has had a bumpier ride since his August call-up, though he did throw a quality start against the Arizona Diamondbacks on August 29 and then followed that with a strong two-inning relief outing against the Cardinals.
The organization also has its own playoff push going on in the minors. The Single-A San Jose Giants are leading the California League while defending last year’s title, with Josuar Gonzalez and Jackson Flora front and center. The High-A Eugene Emeralds are also still alive, battling in the Northwest League Championship Series after coming up short a year ago.
None of that erases how rough the big-league season has been. But with new players getting their feet under them and veterans trying to hold onto their spots for 2027, the Giants do have something to monitor over these final games. At the very least, Devers and Eldridge are giving the lineup a reason to watch.
In Other News...
Giants May Have Turned The Arraez Trade Into A Rare Win-Win
The trade deadline deal that sent Luis Arraez out of San Francisco already looks like the kind of move a front office makes with the bigger picture in mind. The Giants added prospects in the swap, and now there is a path where they could still circle back to Arraez later if they want a more stable answer at second base.
Bleacher Reports Joel Reuter laid out the possibility that San Francisco could try to bring Arraez back in free agency, which would turn one deadline move into something close to a rare win-win. The Giants would keep the prospect return from the trade and still have a chance to address a clear infield need with a player they already know well, though the long-term fit will depend on how the market develops. [Read more 🡒]
Three Giants Prospects Are Giving Fans Real Hope For Whats Next
The Giants came into the 2026 season with one of the most respected farm systems in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, and that reputation has only gotten stronger as the year has unfolded. A trio of prospects, Lalane, Level and Bresnahan, have each boosted their standing with strong work at different minor league levels, giving the organization more reasons to feel encouraged about what might be coming next.
Lalanes rise is especially notable because he joined the system in a midseason trade with the New York Yankees, while Level and Bresnahan have continued to build on the promise that made them names to watch in the first place. For a Giants team always looking to line up its next wave of contributors, the early returns from that group have created real buzz, even if the bigger question is still how soon that talent can start helping in San Francisco. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Fans Just Got A Glimpse Of Floras Long-Term Ceiling
Jackson Flora gave Giants fans a small but intriguing peek at why the organization was willing to make him its first-round pick in 2026. Working two innings for Single-A San Jose in the playoffs, the right-hander struck out four and walked two, flashing enough stuff to remind the system how high his ceiling can be. The most eye-catching stretch came in the second inning, when he struck out the side and briefly looked every bit like a pitcher with a starters upside.
The bigger picture is still all about development, though. Floras raw ability is obvious, but the command needs tightening before anyone can start talking seriously about an arrival in San Francisco. For now, the Giants have a young arm with real promise and plenty of runway, and this outing offered a glimpse of the kind of starting pitcher they hope he can become down the line. [Read more 🡒]