2 SF Giants who have earned a spot on 2027 team, 2 who are blowing their chance

It’s audition season for the SF Giants right now. Without a ton to play for other than pride, the younger players on the roster have a great chance to take advantage of the opportunity presented to them in the next five weeks or so.

Some players have taken advantage of this opportunity while others seem to be blowing their chance. Let’s take a look at who has earned a spot on next year’s team and who has not.

Which SF Giants have taken advantage of their opportunity? 

Drew Gilbert

Last season outfielder Drew Gilbert showed flashes that he could be a solid big league player, but the question coming into this year was whether he could hit consistently enough to remain on the roster.

He’s answered that question as he’s hitting .236/.322/.363 with six home runs and 29 runs batted in. Those aren’t incredible numbers by any stretch, but the fact that basically all of his production has come against right-handed pitching proves he can at least be a platoon bat next season.

His defense also makes him an asset so unless he really falls off in the final month of the season he likely has a lock on the fourth or fifth outfielder spot going into next season. He's also toned down the antics a bit so it's clear he's all business right now.

Dylan Smith

The bullpen has been a mess for most of the season, but Dylan Smith has proved to be a great find. He just recorded a six-out save against the Cleveland Guardians and he should definitely factor into the team’s bullpen plans next season as he has a 2.73 ERA on the season.

While the Giants should definitely add more bullpen arms and get creative to ensure they have enough quality relief arms, Smith has done well enough to warrant at least some sort of role with next year’s club.

Which young SF Giants are struggling right now?

Carson Whisenhunt

This was Carson Whisenhunt’s best chance to stake a claim to a rotation spot for next season. The team traded away Robbie Ray and Tyler Mahle so he had a perfect opportunity to prove that he could be the team’s No. 4 or No. 5 starter going into next season but his ugly 7.03 ERA suggests he may not have what it takes to be a big league starter.

Maybe he can turn it around in the final month but if he doesn’t then the Giants will have to consider moving him to a relief role or finding some other way to maximize his value.

Blade Tidwell

While it’s too early to say that Blade Tidwell has blown his chance, he’s trending in the wrong direction. After some solid starts against the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers, his last outing was a tough one as he allowed six earned runs and walked five batters.

Perhaps it was just one bad start, but he has a clear chance to at least earn a spot in the bullpen for next season if he pitches fairly well the rest of the way so he has to show that was indeed just an outlier.

There’s still plenty of time for the guys doing well to struggle and the guys struggling to improve so nothing is set in stone, but the impression these players make right now really matters so they have to take full advantage of the chance they’re being given. 

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