The SF Giants excelled in key pitching metric during the 2026 Cactus League

The Cactus League is over for the SF Giants. The pitching staff recorded a 4.10 ERA, which was ninth among all teams, but first in the Cactus League.

The SF Giants excelled in key pitching metric during the 2026 Cactus League

The Giants finished the spring with a 19-9 record. Does that matter? I suppose it is good for building confidence heading into the season, but that shiny win-loss record will wear off once the games count.

It is hard to put any weight into spring training numbers. For established players, spring training is for building up at-bats or innings. The performance that comes with it is often secondary. If a player needs to make the team, then those numbers carry weight. However, spring numbers are often not a predictor for the regular season.

The Giants are hoping for a change of narrative. The pitching staff led the Cactus League with a 4.10 ERA. The Texas Rangers were second in the league with a 4.52 ERA.

Tyler Mahle (0.00 ERA), Robbie Ray (1.37 ERA), and Adrian Houser (3.46 ERA) were some of the club leaders in that category. In recent outings, they were all able to get to five or six innings, so they should be ready to go by Opening Day.

Mahle and Houser are new additions to the rotation. Both are coming off of solid seasons, but there are volume concerns. This is especially true for Mahle, who has only made 24 starts over the past three seasons.

What will the rotation look like to start the year? Logan Webb will take the hill on Opening Day. Ray will follow for the second game of the year. Mahle is in line to be the No. 3 starter. Houser and Landen Roupp will fill out the final two spots.

Roupp pitched to a 4.15 ERA with 15 strikeouts and seven walks in 13 Cactus League innings. The Giants have not had much success at drafting and developing pitchers over the past 15 years. Webb is one of the few exceptions, but Roupp has quickly emerged as one of the better pitchers they have drafted in that time. They badly need some of these younger pitchers to stick, and Roupp has done a nice job so far. He has a 3.73 ERA in 45 career appearances.

The Giants hope that the pitching staff's effectiveness carries over into the regular season. It also highlights how hitter-friendly the Cactus League is if a team with a 4.10 ERA leads the league by a wide margin.