1 area of the SF Giants roster that will be tested in the second half of the season

The SF Giants pitching staff is third in baseball with a 3.41 ERA. The bullpen has been a strength, and the starting rotation has done a nice job. However, the rotation will be tested in the second half of the season.

1 area of the SF Giants roster that will be tested in the second half of the season

The rotation is 11th in baseball with a 3.78 ERA, whereas the bullpen remains the best in baseball with a 2.83 ERA. The Houston Astros' bullpen is second in baseball with a 3.28 ERA, so the Giants' unit leads by a comfortable margin.

The success of the bullpen has been due in part to a manageable workload. In recent seasons, the bullpen has handled an extreme workload from the usage of openers and bullpen games. Neither one of those strategies has been employed this year, and the Giants' bullpen sits near the middle of the pack with 283.1 innings pitched. That area should continue to be a strength, even if it has faltered over the past week.

On the other hand, the rotation might be tested in the second half of the year. The Giants began the season with a lot of rotation depth, both in the minors and in the bullpen. The Rafael Devers trade has depleted that to some extent, with Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison heading to Boston in the deal.

Hicks shifted to the bullpen before the trade, but could have slotted back into the rotation in an emergency. Harrison had been throwing out of the rotation. The Giants took a hit on depth with that move.

The current iteration of the Giants rotation features Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, Justin Verlander, Landen Roupp, and Hayden Birdsong. Webb and Ray have anchored the rotation, and both have a strong case to make the NL All-Star team next month.

The remainder of that bunch could be leaking oil for different reasons. Roupp has done a nice job, with a 3.43 ERA in 16 starts. He surpassed last year's innings total in Friday's win over the Chicago White Sox, and now sits at 81.1 innings. At some point, the Giants may need to consider an innings limit given that he has not thrown more than 100 innings in a season since 2022.

On the other hand, Birdsong displayed a dip in velocity in Thursday's game against the Marlins. He was electric out of the bullpen earlier in the year, but has not been quite at strong since moving to the bullpen. At only 56.2 innings, the Giants do not necessarily need to be concerned about his workload as they do with Roupp.

Lastly, Verlander has not looked sharp during much of his Giants tenure. He still gives them some innings, but there might not be much upside.

The Giants will need to rely on some internal depth, such as Carson Seymour or Carson Whisenhunt. Seymour was just recalled, and his role could be fluid depending on how he performs.

The pitching staff has performed well, but the front office might target another rotation arm at the trade deadline. One way or the other, the rotation depth is going to be tested in the second half, but the club will need to leverage some of its younger arms.