Another SF Giants Rule 5 pick makes the 2026 Opening Day roster

Earlier this week, Ryan Watson made the 2026 Opening Day roster for the Boston Red Sox. Another SF Giants Rule 5 pick in Spencer Miles is also made the Opening Day roster for his new club - the Toronto Blue Jays.

Another SF Giants Rule 5 pick makes the 2026 Opening Day roster

There were only 13 players selected in the Rule 5 draft in December. The Giants and Miami Marlins were the only two teams with multiple players selected away. Interestingly, the Giants also did not protect any of their eligible players from the Rule 5 draft.

The first step is making the team. Teams often want to see Rule 5 picks make the club and often give them an extended look in spring training. Those players occupied a roster spot all winter, and in some cases, they were acquired through a trade.

That was the case when the Giants added Daniel Susac. After a strong spring at the plate, he made the club over veteran backstop Eric Haase. Ryan Watson was also acquired in a trade. He was selected by the A's before being sent to the Red Sox.

Spencer Miles was not traded. He was selected by the Blue Jays with the No. 10 pick. They were picking him based on projection because he has minimal experience as a pro. In fact, there are not many players in baseball history over the past 75 years who have reached the majors with less experience. It happens, but it is rare.

Miles has missed substantial time since being selected in the fourth round of the 2022 draft out of the University of Missouri. He has only 14.2 regular-season innings as a pro on his ledger. Miles dealt with major injury setbacks, including undergoing a back procedure in 2023 and needing Tommy John surgery in 2024.

The right-handed pitcher was hoping to get back into game action before the end of the 2025 season. The season ended before he could, but he earned an invite to the Arizona Fall League, where he posted a 4.15 ERA with 12 strikeouts and only one walk in 8.2 innings for the Scottsdale Scorpions.

Miles flashed a mid-90's fastball with a high-80's cutter and a high-70's curveball. More important than that was that he looked healthy on the mound for the first time in a few years.

The 25-year-old pitcher tallied a 3.72 ERA with 11 strikeouts and five walks in 9.2 innings this spring. The Blue Jays liked what they saw and decided to keep him on the roster.

The first step for many Rule 5 picks is making the team. The hard part is sticking throughout the year, especially for a team like Toronto that has playoff aspirations.