IMAGE: Imagn Images
Giants’ Closer Picture for 2026: Is Ryan Walker Still the Guy?
The San Francisco Giants are heading into 2026 facing a familiar question at the back end of their bullpen: Can Ryan Walker reclaim the closer role and hold onto it?
Walker opened and closed 2025 as the Giants’ closer – but that doesn’t mean it was a smooth ride. After earning the job with a dominant 2024 campaign (1.91 ERA, 80 innings, 99 strikeouts, 10 saves), Walker looked like the long-term answer. He was lights out after stepping in for a struggling Camilo Doval, and his ability to miss bats and pound the zone made him one of the most effective relievers in baseball that year.
But 2025 brought a different story. Walker started the year as the closer, but his inconsistency opened the door for Doval to regain the role midway through the season. Doval looked like his old self again – electric stuff, late-inning swagger – and for a moment, it seemed like the Giants had stabilized the ninth inning.
Then came the trade deadline.
With the team limping through the second half and looking to shake things up, the Giants shipped Doval to the Yankees. That move opened the door for Randy Rodríguez, who was coming off a breakout first half that earned him an All-Star nod. The hope was that Rodríguez could carry that momentum into the closer role.
But things didn’t go according to plan.
Rodríguez struggled to adjust to the ninth inning, and before he could fully settle in, an elbow injury shut him down. The diagnosis?
Tommy John surgery. He’ll miss all of 2026.
That left the Giants with little choice but to turn back to Walker down the stretch. He stepped back into the role, but the results were mixed.
He converted just 17 of 24 save chances and finished the season with a 4.11 ERA. His final outing – a blown save that officially eliminated the Giants from playoff contention – felt like a gut punch and a fitting end to a rollercoaster season.
So where does that leave the Giants now?
This offseason, the front office made a few minor bullpen additions, but they didn’t bring in a proven closer – despite several being available on the market. That could be a philosophical choice. Big-money closer contracts can backfire, and the Giants seem to be leaning into a more cost-effective, in-house approach.
That strategy, however, leaves the door wide open for a closer competition heading into spring training. And right now, Walker probably enters camp as the favorite.
He’s got the most experience in the role, and we’ve seen what he’s capable of when his command is sharp and his sinker-slider combo is working. The 2024 version of Walker was dominant. The question is whether he can find that form again.
There are other names to watch, too. Erik Miller could get a look – he’s shown flashes of late-inning stuff.
And don’t sleep on Joel Peguero. The hard-throwing righty turned heads with a strong finish to 2025 and could emerge as a dark horse in the mix.
Still, unless someone really grabs the job in camp, the Giants may be leaning on Walker by default. They’ve seen him dominate before. Now they just need him to do it again.
For a team looking to bounce back in 2026, the ninth inning could be the difference between another missed postseason and a return to October. And once again, all eyes are on Ryan Walker.
The San Francisco Giants are heading into 2026 facing a familiar question at the back end of their bullpen: Can Ryan Walker reclaim the closer role and hold onto it?
Walker opened and closed 2025 as the Giants’ closer – but that doesn’t mean it was a smooth ride. After earning the job with a dominant 2024 campaign (1.91 ERA, 80 innings, 99 strikeouts, 10 saves), Walker looked like the long-term answer. He was lights out after stepping in for a struggling Camilo Doval, and his ability to miss bats and pound the zone made him one of the most effective relievers in baseball that year.
But 2025 brought a different story. Walker started the year as the closer, but his inconsistency opened the door for Doval to regain the role midway through the season. Doval looked like his old self again – electric stuff, late-inning swagger – and for a moment, it seemed like the Giants had stabilized the ninth inning.
Then came the trade deadline.
With the team limping through the second half and looking to shake things up, the Giants shipped Doval to the Yankees. That move opened the door for Randy Rodríguez, who was coming off a breakout first half that earned him an All-Star nod. The hope was that Rodríguez could carry that momentum into the closer role.
But things didn’t go according to plan.
Rodríguez struggled to adjust to the ninth inning, and before he could fully settle in, an elbow injury shut him down. The diagnosis?
Tommy John surgery. He’ll miss all of 2026.
That left the Giants with little choice but to turn back to Walker down the stretch. He stepped back into the role, but the results were mixed.
He converted just 17 of 24 save chances and finished the season with a 4.11 ERA. His final outing – a blown save that officially eliminated the Giants from playoff contention – felt like a gut punch and a fitting end to a rollercoaster season.
So where does that leave the Giants now?
This offseason, the front office made a few minor bullpen additions, but they didn’t bring in a proven closer – despite several being available on the market. That could be a philosophical choice. Big-money closer contracts can backfire, and the Giants seem to be leaning into a more cost-effective, in-house approach.
That strategy, however, leaves the door wide open for a closer competition heading into spring training. And right now, Walker probably enters camp as the favorite.
He’s got the most experience in the role, and we’ve seen what he’s capable of when his command is sharp and his sinker-slider combo is working. The 2024 version of Walker was dominant. The question is whether he can find that form again.
There are other names to watch, too. Erik Miller could get a look – he’s shown flashes of late-inning stuff.
And don’t sleep on Joel Peguero. The hard-throwing righty turned heads with a strong finish to 2025 and could emerge as a dark horse in the mix.
Still, unless someone really grabs the job in camp, the Giants may be leaning on Walker by default. They’ve seen him dominate before. Now they just need him to do it again.
For a team looking to bounce back in 2026, the ninth inning could be the difference between another missed postseason and a return to October. And once again, all eyes are on Ryan Walker.
