SF Giants 2026 bullpen accomplished feat not seen by franchise in over 50 years

No SF Giants reliever tallied at least 10 saves in 2026. This was the first time that a Giants bullpen has not done that in a full season since 1972.

I do not think anyone finds this surprising. The bullpen struggled mightily this past season. You saw it. I saw it. We all saw it. Not only that, but they operated without concrete roles.

Not only that, but many relievers were used in a variety of spots. Some were used in high-leverage spots, followed by low-leverage spots. There was little consistency about what to expect from a specific reliever.

That makes it hard to accumulate stats, such as holds or saves. Caleb Kilian led the Giants with eight saves, and he had a commanding lead in that category. Kilian made his final appearance with San Francisco on August 1 before he was shipped to the Philadelphia Phillies in a four-player deal.

Despite finishing the year for the SF Giants, Caleb Kilian had a commanding lead in saves

Dylan Smith and Erik Miller were tied for second in saves with four apiece. Similar to Kilian, Miller was traded away at the trade deadline.

While the evolution of the bullpen in 2026 was mostly disappointing, Smith looks like he is capable of filling a spot in a good bullpen. That spot may not be as a closer, but he proved capable of covering a medium-leverage role.

If Smith is used primarily for the sixth or seventh inning next year, that would be a good sign about this unit's depth. If he has a higher-leverage role than that, then the Giants might experience more of the same next year. Of course, this assumes that the Giants operate with bullpen roles in 2027.

At the start of the year, the Giants tabbed Ryan Walker as their closer. He performed well in spring training, but was unable to carry that momentum into the regular season. He recorded three saves and was one of 12 pitchers to close out a game for the club.

This marked the first time in a full season since 1972 that the Giants failed to have a reliever reach at least 10 saves in a season. In that year, Jerry Johnson led the way with eight saves. It was also a different time for bullpens, as they often were smaller and covered multiple innings. For example, Johnson made 48 appearances, spanning 73.1 innings.

What should you do with this information? If you are at a party and you want to impress your friends, be sure to mention this fact. They will be in awe that you knew this!

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow