Young SF Giants pitcher could be a future ace of the starting rotation

Logan Webb is the undisputed ace of the SF Giants rotation. That will not always be the case though. The Giants may already have their future ace of the rotation on the team in Hayden Birdsong who showed a lot of promise in 2024.

The Giants were probably not expecting Birdsong to be a huge contributor in 2024. He was thought of as an exciting young prospect but not someone who was going to make an immediate impact. He was called up out of necessity with the starting rotation being banged up for the Giants.

SF Giants young pitcher Hayden Birdsong could develop into ace

Birdsong came up and showed a lot of promise. He looked strong enough that the Giants felt comfortable trading away veteran Alex Cobb because they felt they could probably get more out of the rookie for the rest of the year.

It was up and down at times, but on the whole Birdsong put up respectable numbers. He had a 4.75 ERA in 16 starts and 72 innings pitched. He had an impressive 88 strikeouts in those 72 innings but also had a lot of walks, handing out 43 free passes.

On the whole, it was a solid rookie campaign. He is still just 23 years old so it is hard not to get excited about his potential going forward. With his ability to strike guys out, he clearly has the potential to be an ace somewhere down the road if he continues to improve and can clean some things up.

Along with Kyle Harrison, he and Birdsong have the potential to be staples of the rotation along with Webb. Plus, with rumors about the Giants cutting payroll and manager Bob Melvin seemingly confirming those rumors by invoking young pitchers who could help keep payroll down, it seems like Birdsong is going to be a big part of the 2025 rotation.

If he takes a step forward next year, he has the chance to be a big part of the rotation for years to come. As a pitcher who mainly induces fly balls and strikeouts, he has a different profile than Logan Webb who is a sinkerballer that mainly puts the ball on the ground. If Birdsong does develop more, he could be an exciting draw for the Giants as a guy who could rack up 10 strikeouts any given time he takes the mound.

If the Giants are going to return to contention, it is going to have to come from within. Birdsong could be a big part of the homegrown movement for the team if he keeps on getting better going forward.