Birdsong bounces back, K's J-Ram in bid to break camp with Giants

​​GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The early numbers haven’t been kind to Hayden Birdsong in Spring Training.

But for the Giants, the bigger picture hasn’t changed.

The 24-year-old right-hander remains in contention for the club’s long-term pitching mix, even after a rocky start to Cactus League play while the Giants evaluate several young arms competing for roles on the pitching staff.

Birdsong entered camp looking to build on flashes from his 2025 season. He posted a 2.31 ERA across his first 11 appearances out of the bullpen before moving back into the rotation, where he logged a 6.17 ERA over 10 starts before being optioned to Triple-A Sacramento.

This spring has brought more ups and downs.

In San Francisco’s spring opener on Feb. 21, Birdsong faced six batters and recorded just one out, allowing five runs on two hits and two walks, including a grand slam, in the first inning, while throwing 26 pitches.

Birdsong’s second outing offered only modest improvement, as he surrendered three runs on four hits and one walk, while yielding one home run and recording his first strikeout of the spring.

Still, Birdsong showed a glimpse of his potential again during his latest appearance in the Giants’ 5-4 win over the Guardians on Tuesday afternoon at Goodyear Ballpark.

Facing the top of the order in the bottom of the sixth inning, Birdsong worked around a first-pitch double by Brayan Rocchio after Steven Kwan grounded out. Birdsong then struck out José Ramírez with a 97.9 mph four-seam fastball up and away before Chase DeLauter grounded out to end the inning.

Birdsong, who declined to speak with reporters after Tuesday’s outing, has a 30.86 ERA across 2 1/3 innings this spring.

For Giants manager Tony Vitello, moments like that can matter more than a stat line right now.

“It just solidifies that you’re capable of doing it,” Vitello said. “That’s a good thought process, but it helps if you’ve actually done something at a high level ... [and] that’s pretty high level right there.”

Vitello said that can reinforce confidence for a young pitcher still learning to trust his ability against Major League hitters.

“It adds to the incentive and the motivation to walk out there knowing you can accomplish anything, even at this level,” Vitello said.

Birdsong is also part of a larger group of young pitchers competing for opportunities this spring, including Trevor McDonald, Blade Tidwell and Carson Seymour.

Vitello said he views several of those arms in a similar category as the organization continues to evaluate their potential roles.

“I would go ahead and lump [Birdsong] with Tidwell and Seymour,” Vitello said. “If you’ve got the ability to potentially start and go through an order for five or six innings ... [and] we just handed you the ball and said go get three outs, it [would] probably be a pretty good setup.”

Birdsong’s skill set could allow him to fill a variety of roles, whether as a starter, working out of the middle of the bullpen or even closing games, though it could also take additional time at a lower level as he continues building experience.

“I don’t think anything has been fully decided at this point,” Vitello said. “His potential hasn’t changed.”

Part of Birdsong’s development, Vitello added, will come as he learns to balance expectations with confidence.

“He’s a good kid,” Vitello said. “Sometimes that can work against you if you try to shoulder the weight of the world and make everybody pleased.”

Vitello believes Birdsong is still discovering the version of himself that allows his natural competitiveness to emerge on the mound.

“The body and the mind are so tied together,” Vitello said. “When he’s comfortable, he’s got his own edge to him.”

For now, Vitello views Birdsong’s progress as part of the larger process many young pitchers face.

“He’s had his hands full growing up ... and you all have seen snapshots of what he can do,” Vitello said. “He’s got a fun ride ahead of him, and he’s at the early stages of climbing Camelback Mountain, if you will.”