SF Giants established a middle-of-the-order threat in 2026

The SF Giants did not accomplish much in 2026, but they did establish a middle-of-the-order threat with Bryce Eldridge and Rafael Devers. That is a formidable duo that they have been missing for a while.

When I was growing up, I watched Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent anchor the middle of the lineup. In 1998, they added Ellis Burks in a trade with the Colorado Rockies.

This was my introduction to Giants baseball, and at that young age, I just assumed that they would always have a lineup with that type of offensive firepower. Kent and Burks eventually departed in free agency. Moisés Alou arrived a couple of years later, but he only had one full season with Bonds in the lineup.

The Giants had a good foundation in the middle of the lineup with Buster Posey and Hunter Pence as well. It is often the toughest part of the lineup to build.

In recent seasons, the Giants tried to stretch out the lineup with good hitters and tough outs, but they were also light on impact players. While the Giants lost 97 games in 2026, they established a lineup with a pair of high-impact hitters in Rafael Devers and Bryce Eldridge.

The SF Giants have a formidable duo in the middle of the order, which is often the hardest part to construct

This is no surprise for Devers, as he has been one of baseball's best hitters since he made his major league debut with the Boston Red Sox in 2017. He got off to a slow start this year, but finished the season with an .865 OPS, 37 home runs, and 98 RBI in 633 plate appearances.

On Saturday, the left-handed bat just turned 30, so it is fair to say that he still has several more prime seasons ahead. Even when the inevitable age regression does materialize, he should still be a well above-average hitter.

On the other hand, Eldridge enjoyed a strong 2026 campaign. While he will likely not merit much consideration in the NL Rookie of the Year voting, he was one of the best hitters from this year's rookie class.

Overall, the 22-year-old hitter posted an .825 OPS with 17 home runs and 57 RBI in 448 plate appearances. He also had some of the best plate discipline in a lineup that was too light on that trait, and he was one of the best left-on-left hitters in baseball.

A lineup with Devers and Eldridge should force pitchers to be careful in how they approach the hitters ahead of them and how they navigate those two hitters. That core is not only formidable, but it should be the envy of many teams.

A lot of lineups do not feature two hitters of that caliber, but the Giants checked that box off in 2026. That is often the hard part. The other side is building a lineup around these two hitters that can help lift up this duo.

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