3 SF Giants left off Opening Day roster who will still make an impact in 2026

The SF Giants have set their Opening Day roster. While there were some small surprises in who they decided to keep and who they decided to cut, there are several players who did not make the team who may still play a big role on the 2026 squad.

This is obviously just the first iteration of the roster. There are going to be plenty of changes over the next six months and there's a good chance the roster will look quite different by the end of the season. Just look at last season's Opening Day roster. Remember Lou Trivino? Exactly.

Let's take a look at three guys who are still probably going to contribute at the big league level at some point in 2026.

3 SF Giants poised to make a big impact in 2026 despite exclusion from Opening Day roster

Blade Tidwell

Formerly an ace for Giants manager Tony Vitello as the University of Tennessee, Blade Tidwell came out of the gates in spring training on fire. The young right-hander was looking like he could make the Opening Day roster but he had some rough outings that resulted in him being optioned.

He made an appearance in Tuesday night's exhibition at Oracle Park against the Sultanes de Monterrey, a Mexican League team, and reminded everyone of his promise as he struck out four batters in two effortless innings of work.

It would not be a shock at all if he worked his way into San Francisco's bullpen at some point this season or potentially even the rotation if there are some injuries to starters.

Bryce Eldridge

While top prospect Bryce Eldridge was too inconsistent and struck out too much to warrant a spot on the big league roster, he hit a couple of homers after being optioned as a little reminder that he is just one hot streak away from potentially being promoted.

His power is undeniable so it seems inevitable that he will get called up at some point this season. Hopefully he can have a breakout year and maybe even get some National League Rookie of the Year buzz if he does.

Gregory Santos

The flamethrower Gregory Santos is another guy who was impressive early in spring training but fell off a bit by the end. With how wide open and unsettled the bullpen is, it would not be a shock if he get promoted as the Giants try to figure out which arms work best.

It's a long season and the first roster just provides a snapshot in time reflective of the guys who did best in spring training, so expect these three players to make an impact at some point throughout the year.