SF Giants Players Review 2026: Tyler Mahle improved before his deadline departure

A pitcher's season doesn't get much more up-and-down than the one Tyler Mahle had this year. From his monthly improvements to a change in scenery that ended up bringing out the best in him, Mahle got better as the season went on. Unlike his former teammates in San Francisco, Mahle played meaningful baseball in October.

The Giants put their hopes in Mahle – and Adrian Houser – to round out a rotation that felt like it needed more. After posting a 2.16 ERA over 16 starts for Texas last season, Mahle was considered a veteran addition with upside rather than a truly reliable innings-eater. In hindsight, that description was accurate. Mahle did showcase some upside; the Giants just didn't have any reason to keep him when it eventually happened.

Mahle turned a rough start into meaningful baseball

His opening stretch with the Giants is a good representation of his time in San Francisco. He gave up two runs over four innings against the Yankees in his Giants debut. Three starts later came the worst outing of his season, as he allowed eight runs and four home runs in four innings against the Reds. Then, in his next start, the upside: a seven-inning shutout of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Through his first 11 starts in orange and black, Mahle had been tagged for seven losses against just one win, and his ERA stood at 6.08. He suffered a hamstring strain in a late-May start against the Diamondbacks that would cost him a month of competition. A blessing in disguise.

Mahle looked like a different pitcher when he returned. He allowed just seven earned runs over 22 1/3 innings in July – a 2.82 ERA – and put up a 3.79 ERA in seven post-injury starts. His stuff looked better, his fastball was sharper, and in his eventual last appearance for the Giants, despite allowing five runs over 5 2/3 innings, Mahle struck out a season-high nine batters against the Padres in San Diego. The road was a season-long issue for Mahle with the Giants. In nine starts away from San Francisco, he posted an 8.04 ERA. In comparison, he finished with a 2.65 mark in nine starts at Oracle Park.

With Mahle being on an expiring contract and the Giants long out of playoff contention, the obvious decision was to trade him and get some kind of value out of him. They shipped him to Atlanta in exchange for right-hander Anthony Molina, who would – against expectations – flash potential in his nine appearances with the Giants.

Mahle carried that post-injury momentum into Atlanta and turned into an ace, as he went 4-1 with a 1.99 ERA in his time in Atlanta. Seven of his nine regular-season appearances with the Braves were quality starts – he had just three in 18 appearances with the Giants – and his walk rate dropped by more than half – from 9.2% to 4.3%. One of the main changes to his arsenal that might have helped improve his control was the increased usage of his splitter – especially against right-handed hitters – and reduced cutter and slider usage.

As the Braves reached the NLDS before falling to the Dodgers, Mahle made a couple of postseason appearances, allowing three runs over 13 1/3 innings against Philadelphia and Los Angeles.

On a personal level, this season was a success for Mahle. He made 27 starts, which is more than his combined total from 2023 to 2025, and bounced back after a rough start to eventually pitch in the playoffs. More importantly, he turned himself into a valuable asset. Now a free agent, Mahle boosted his value over the last two months of the season.

The Braves have shown interest in retaining him, but no official agreement has been announced yet. Fresh off a one-year deal and entering Year 11, Mahle could be looking for a multi-year contract this time around. He might have shown enough to earn it.

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