Scott Bandura gave the Giants enough to dream on in the minors this season. The problem is that once he reached San Francisco, the picture got a lot less clear.
Bandura opened 2026 in Double-A Richmond and wasted little time forcing his way up to Triple-A Sacramento. With the Flying Squirrels, he hit .324/.430/.479 with three homers and 32 runs batted in. He kept right on producing after the promotion, batting .318/.398/.492 for the River Cats with 10 home runs and 62 runs batted in.
That kind of season usually gets attention, and Bandura’s path to the majors made sense. The Giants traded away Heliot Ramos at the deadline, injuries piled up, and Bandura eventually got the call on September 13. He also would have needed to be added to the 40-man roster to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft, though with a lockout looming, there’s no guarantee that draft will even happen.
Once he arrived, though, the results changed fast. In his big league audition, Bandura hit .207/.233/.241 with one RBI and one stolen base in two attempts. The most alarming part was the swing-and-miss: he struck out 17 times in 29 at-bats and drew just one walk, a clear sign he was overmatched by major league pitching.
None of that is especially surprising for a rookie, but it does matter because of the crowd Bandura is walking into. The Giants have a bunch of young outfielders in the mix, including Drew Gilbert, Jonah Cox, Victor Bericoto, Turner Hill, and Bo Davidson.
There simply may not be enough room for everyone, and Bandura didn’t do enough in his first look to look like a lock for next season. Still, he’s not out of the picture. A strong spring training or a better run in the minors could change the conversation quickly, and the Giants have already seen one example of a young outfielder making a leap in his second big league season with Gilbert.
San Francisco figures to lean heavily on its young outfield depth next year, especially if the offseason attention stays centered on pitching. Bandura has a path into that mix, but he’ll need to look a lot more like the player he was in the minors than the one who struggled in the majors.
In Other News...
Phillies Face A Costly Luis Arraez Problem They Can't Ignore
The Phillies deadline move for Luis Arraez was built around the kind of contact hitter they could plug into the middle of the lineup and lean on for the stretch run. Philadelphia acquired him from the Giants in exchange for prospects Ramon Marquez and Marty Gair, a deal that also changed the shape of the clubs infield picture as it looked ahead beyond October.
Now the more uncomfortable part of the equation is coming into view, because Arraez is expected to reach free agency and the Phillies have not exactly settled the long-term question. If they decide not to bring him back, the club could wind up having paid a notable prospect price for a short rental, leaving the front office with another infield decision to sort through after the season. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Trade Looks Better As Robbie Ray Heads Into An Uncertain Winter
With the Padres season ending in a loss to the Brewers, Robbie Rays move out of San Francisco looks a little different than it did at the trade deadline. The veteran left-hander never found much traction in San Diego, and what was supposed to be a late-season boost instead became another reminder of how quickly a rental arm can change a teams outlook.
For the Giants, the deal brought back Miguel Mendez and Joniel Hernandez, and it at least gave the front office something tangible for a pitcher whose path had already grown murky. Ray now heads into an uncertain winter with free agency looming, and his brief stop with the Padres only added another layer of doubt to where hell land next. [Read more 🡒]
Mauricio Dubon Just Gave Giants Fans An Uncomfortable Reminder
Mauricio Dubns name still carries a familiar edge for Giants fans, and not just because he once fit into the clubs infield picture. In the Braves Game 4 loss to the Dodgers in the NLDS, Dubn was at the center of a tense October moment, part of a game that sent Los Angeles on to the NLCS against the Brewers. Even with the disappointment attached to that night, Dubns season has reinforced what many around the game already know: he has grown into a versatile, useful player who can help in a variety of ways.
For San Francisco, though, the sight of Dubn in a high-leverage postseason game can still prompt a little unease, because it serves as a reminder of what the organization moved away from during a roster squeeze. The Giants had to make some difficult choices when they were sorting through players with limited margin for error, and Dubn was one of them. He has since continued to build value elsewhere, which only makes the old decision feel more complicated in hindsight. [Read more 🡒]