Birdsong aims to unlock ‘sky high’ potential

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SAN RAMON, Calif. -- Coming off a season that was derailed by command issues, Hayden Birdsong decided to do some things a little differently this winter.

He arrived in Arizona on Nov. 15, giving the Illinois native the opportunity to put on his cleats and start throwing outside much earlier than he normally would. He’s also been working closely with the Giants’ cadre of new pitching coaches -- including Frank Anderson, Justin Meccage and Christian Wonders -- to try to make some adjustments that he hopes will get him back on track in 2026.

“There’s some little things, just like mechanical stuff that we’ve looked at,” Birdsong said Saturday during the Giants’ FanFest Tour stop at City Center Bishop Ranch. “The new crew that came in, obviously, they’re big-time looking at it. I kind of made little changes with not my slot, per se, but how I move and certain things. It’s probably not going to look any different to the naked eye. But to me, it’s quite a bit different. It’s been working for me. Now I’ve got to get a hitter in the box and see what happens.”

Birdsong opened the 2025 campaign in the Giants’ bullpen and emerged as a multi-inning weapon after recording a 2.31 ERA with 25 strikeouts over 23 1/3 innings in his first 11 appearances of the year.

The 24-year-old right-hander ended up forcing his way back into San Francisco’s rotation by late May, but he couldn't throw enough strikes to stick as a starter. He logged a 6.17 ERA with 27 walks over 42 1/3 innings in 10 starts before he was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento following a disastrous outing against the Braves on July 21, when he walked four of the six batters he faced and departed without recording an out.

The Giants hoped the demotion would give Birdsong a chance to reset, but he continued to struggle with his command in the Minors. He posted a 6.23 ERA over his final 10 starts at Sacramento and didn’t earn another callup with the Giants, who bypassed him in favor of other young starters such as Kai-Wei Teng, Carson Seymour and Trevor McDonald in September.

How would Birdsong diagnose his issues?

“I think I was over-bending, which caused my arm slot to raise almost, and then everything just didn’t move the same,” Birdsong said. “I’d cut fastball, run fastballs. It was just not what you’re looking for. But I just try to stay more upright. Don’t reach so much overhead, be more athletic.”

Despite his sudden regression, the Giants remain high on Birdsong, who possesses one of the highest ceilings of any starter in the organization. He averaged 95.5 mph on his four-seam fastball in 2025 and also mixes in a slider, changeup and curveball, which should give him a chance to develop into a key rotation piece if he can get back in the strike zone more consistently this year.

Birdsong is expected to compete for a spot in the Giants’ Opening Day rotation this spring, but he could be on the outside looking in now that newcomers Adrian Houser and Tyler Mahle have arrived to join Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and Landen Roupp in the starting mix.

Still, Birdsong could be the next man up in the event of injury or underperformance, so he should be one of the most intriguing players to follow once Cactus League action begins next month.

“The stuff is incredible,” Webb said. “Talking to [manager] Tony [Vitello] about it [on Friday], the potential for that kid is pretty sky high. Probably some of the best potential in all of baseball. … I’m excited for him. It’s cool to see him progress throughout the offseason and try to make changes. A lot of these young guys are really hungry and want to do well.”