One trait that the SF Giants pitching additions share so far this offseason

The SF Giants have only made a handful of additions on the pitching side this offseason, but many of them share at least one trait in common. They all excel at inducing ground balls.

One trait that the SF Giants pitching additions share so far this offseason

As a refresher, the Giants have made exactly four pitching additions. The most notable one was reportedly signing veteran reliever Sam Hentges. They have also claimed Reiver Sanmartin off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds, added Logan Martin in a trade with the Kansas City Royals, and signed Wilkin Ramos.

Martin does not fit neatly into this observation, but the rest of them do. These moves are about adding depth to the organization. The Giants still have a lot of work to do on the pitching side.

That said, maybe who they have added so far can serve as an indicator for what traits they plan to target in free agency. Since Buster Posey and Zack Minasian have assumed leadership roles, it is hard to know what they like in a pitcher. On the offensive side, they made it apparent that they like hitters with above-average contact skills.

On the pitching side, the most notable move they made last offseason was adding Justin Verlander to a one-year, $15 million deal. Not every move is going to grab the headlines. Some moves go under the radar, and usually come together because the team seeks a trait that the player offers.

For the Giants' moves so far this offseason, that trait seems to be pitchers who post high ground ball rates. The ground ball rate around the league in 2025 was 41.8 percent. As a team, the Giants' pitching staff induced a ground ball in 45.3 percent of batted-ball events, which was third in baseball.

Among the new additions, Reiver Sanmartin leads the way with a 53.6 percent ground ball rate across parts of four seasons. He also has a 5.66 ERA due to an extremely low strikeout rate and below-average control. Sanmartin's profile leans heavily on one skill but leaves something to be desired with other skills.

Sam Hentges has put up a 53.4 percent ground ball rate in four seasons with the Cleveland Guardians. He has recorded a 4.18 ERA, but has pitched to a 2.93 ERA since moving exclusively to the bullpen in 2022. He has a good combination of a high ground ball rate, modestly high strikeout rate, and low walk totals.

Lastly, Wilkin Ramos was added on a minor league deal with a camp invite. He has put up a 3.22 ERA in seven minor league seasons and has posted ground ball rates well above 50 percent in each of those seasons, with one exception. That one exception came in 12.2 innings in the Gulf Coast League in 2019, where he only had a 36.6 percent ground ball rate.