Tony Vitello can help these 3 young SF Giants take the next step in 2026

A lot of the talk surrounding the SF Giants right now is what they need to target and add to the roster. Rotation help, bullpen help, and an outfielder are at the top of the list. However, the team must also develop from within which is where new manager Tony Vitello can come into play.

Vitello helped turn around the Tennessee Volunteers program and he can take that experience and apply it with the Giants. There is young talent on the roster and if they take the next step it could pay huge dividends in 2026. Here are the three players that need to take the next step for this team. 

3 young SF Giants players who must take the next step

Bryce Eldridge 

The nice thing is that the Giants have options when it comes to first base. When they acquired Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox, it gave them the option of having a full-time designated hitter, but also a player that can play first base. Was his defense superb? No, but it was serviceable and got him onto the field. It’s a good option to have, but the goal should be for Eldridge to take the next steps in his development. 

Eldridge spent the 2025 season in Double-A and Triple-A. He got nearly double the plate appearances in Triple-A and finished with a slash line of .249/.314/.514 with a .828 OPS and a 105 wRC+. Eldridge does a tremendous job of spraying the ball all over the field and is a legitimate power threat. His hard hit rate ranked in the 98th percentile and his barrel rate ranked in the 96th. He is the ideal player the Giants need in their lineup. 

There are things to improve on, though. Eldridge is prone to the swing and miss and strikeouts. Consistently, he has had an swing percentage of 28, so cutting down chasing outside the zone is key. His sample size at the MLB level is small. In only 37 plate appearances, he hit .107 with a .476 OPS. Also, he struck out in 13 of those, good for 35.1%. 

The potential is there and the talent is there. Tapping into it and making him a regular goes a long ways for their success. 

One of Hayden Birdsong or Carson Whisenhunt 

Everyone in the fan base is banging the drum for a pitcher. The pipe dream is Tatsuya Imai, but they may settle for a cheaper option with tremendous upside. Say they do go out and sign a Merrill Kelly or a Zac Gallen, that signals that the team is banking on either Hayden Birdsong or Carson Whisenhunt to take the next steps. 

Let’s start with Birdsong, who pitched 65.2 innings for the Giants this season and got his second year of significant time at the MLB level. He finished the season with a 4.80 ERA, a 4.96 FIP, and a 1.49 WHIP. Birdsong improved his walk rate, but did see his strikeout rate go down significantly compared to the 2024 season (27.9% to 22.8%). There are things to love, between the fastball velocity and the swing and miss ability. If he can refine his secondaries, it’ll make him a more well-rounded pitcher and more effective. 

Whisenhunt has a small sample size, but there is a lot to like about his game. In Triple-A during the 2025 season, he improved his command and lowered his walk rate by nearly 4%. He finished with a 4.43 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP. The only glaring issue this year was his strikeout rate went down 7.5%. The command improved and he does excel at getting batters to chase outside the zone. He is only 25 years old, so there is so much room to grow. If he can put it together, it would give the Giants a reliable back end of the rotation with upside. 

Vitello has worked with some stellar pitchers in Tennessee and if he can somehow tap into these young guys and get them to flourish, the sky’s the limit. 

Drew Gilbert

Will the Giants go out and spend on Cody Bellinger? That is doubtful, but the fit makes sense. They do need help in the outfield, but if one of their own can take the next steps it gives the front office more wiggle room to breathe. 

Gilbert is such a fun player. He is the energy in the dugout, between his celebrations and being choked in the dugout. He is a pure electric factory. That factor is an intangible one, but it can loosen up the group. 

Gilbert has a phenomenal batting profile and his approach at the plate is what earned him a call to the show. He doesn’t whiff or chase outside the zone, limits strikeouts, generates his walks, and does a tremendous job of pulling the ball. His hard contact rate is average, but he has tools to be an effective bat. 

Gilbert had 109 plate appearances and hit .190 with a .598 OPS and 66 wRC+. Defensively, he played the majority of the time in right field and also slotted to center field. He was much better in center than in right, but there are options to move him around. 

Gilbert was a former player under Vitello, so the familiarity is there. If there is anyone who can tap into Gilbert and put him in position for success, it’s Vitello.

Given Vitello's experience as a collegiate coach, perhaps he and his coaching staff can get the most out of these younger players in 2026.