MLB's best kept secret is underrated reliever in SF Giants bullpen

The SF Giants have gotten a lot out of their bullpen this season. They have the lowest team bullpen ERA of any MLB team, and reliever Randy Rodriguez has been the best kept secret of their bullpen thus far.

Heading into Sunday's game with 21 appearances and 21 and 2/3 innings pitched, Rodriguez has a 0.83 ERA with 31 strikeouts and just three walks while only surrendering 12 hits. He has been supremely reliable for manager Bob Melvin and figures to be a huge part of the bullpen this season.

SF Giants have MLB's best kept secret in reliever Randy Rodriguez

What is most impressive is that Rodriguez is often a guy that Melvin will call upon to come into an existing innings with runners already on base. Despite this, Rodriguez's only two runs allowed this season have been earned runs which shows that he regularly comes in and cleans up the mess when entering a sticky situation. He has had a real stabilizing effect on the bullpen this year.

We saw Rodriguez flash some of this skill in 2024 during his rookie season, but he was nowhere near as sharp as he has been in 2025. Last season in 35 appearances he had a 4.30 ERA in 52 and 1/3 innings pitched.

What accounts for this improvement in his sophomore season? Earlier this year, FanGraphs looked at Rodriguez's dominance which has really boiled down to vastly improved command. He only features a high velocity fastball and slider, but he has been able to locate both pitches consistently as evidenced by only handing out four free passes if you count the one batter he hit with a pitch. Rodriguez recently spoke about how he places a high emphasis on pounding the strike zone and limiting walks.

The scary thing to think about is that, as of right now, Rodriguez is probably the fourth-best option in the team's bullpen behind Camilo Doval, Tyler Rogers, and Ryan Walker. Melvin is absolutely spoiled with all of the arms he can call upon in high-leverage situations right now.

It will be interesting to see if Melvin starts to call upon Rodriguez later in games as the season goes on. He is mostly a guy who comes into the game in either the 6th or 7th inning. Yet, if he keeps up how well he has been pitching, he could certainly become a reliable 8th inning guy or even a guy Melvin turns to in the 9th inning to close things out.

As of right now, most people who do not follow the Giants closely have no idea who Rodriguez is. That could quickly change if he continues his dominance in 2025.