SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Ryan Walker came into Giants camp with a clear goal in mind this year.
“I’m coming in confident, coming in with the intention of earning that closer role,” Walker said. “It’s as simple as that. I worked a lot on mental strength and knowing who I am. That’s where I want to be. I want to be in that role. I like that role a lot. I’m coming in with a competitive and confident mindset of doing my thing and earning that position.”
Walker, 30, surged into the closer role for the Giants after logging a stellar 1.91 ERA over 76 appearances in 2024, but he lost his grip on ninth-inning duties after enduring a bumpy season on the mound last year. He blew seven of 24 save opportunities in 2025 and finished with a career-high 4.11 ERA over 68 outings, opening the door for Camilo Doval to move back into the ninth last May.
Randy Rodríguez got a chance to close out games after Doval was dealt to the Yankees at the 2025 Trade Deadline, but the All-Star right-hander is likely out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September. The Giants brought in former Tigers closer Jason Foley on a one-year, $2 million deal over the offseason, but he’s working his way back from right shoulder surgery and isn’t expected to be available until midseason. That should make Walker the favorite to slide back into the ninth inning to start the year.
The Giants have said they plan to hold an open competition for bullpen spots this spring, but Walker is determined to show that he can bounce back from his down year and stake his claim on the closer job.
“I take a lot of positivity out of last year,” Walker said. “Both in the sense of it really wasn’t that bad of a year when you look at it as a whole. Also, obviously, being in that closer position, there’s a little bit more pressure. It’s learning how to kind of minimize those bad outings and move on. All that stuff really is going to have a positive impact on me, in terms of staying resilient and just having more confidence in general. I’m looking forward to the season.”
Walker’s strikeout rate dipped from 32.1% in 2024 to 22.6% in ‘25, so he spent the offseason working to make some mechanical tweaks to help him regain the dominant form he showed during his sophomore season in the Majors.
“I feel like my tempo last year was pretty slow,” said Walker, who is known for his extreme crossfire delivery. “Kind of just being a little quicker down the mound like I used to be. Working on that slider shape, which was great this offseason. Just kind of those two main things. The mechanic part of it, like the tempo and stuff, was the biggest thing. With that will come everything [else].”
Left-hander Erik Miller said he has no doubt that Walker will be able to reestablish himself as a key high-leverage arm for the Giants this year.
“You still clearly saw last year, it’s still there,” Miller said. “Obviously, there’s always going to be peaks and valleys, and sometimes it takes a little bit longer to get out of there. Obviously, he has a very intricate delivery. I could see that if one little thing feels off, maybe it just kind of gets out of whack. From what I've seen so far, it looks great. I have the utmost faith in him. When he’s on, that’s got to be the most uncomfortable at-bat in baseball. When he's throwing strikes, getting ahead of guys, landing all those pitches, he could easily go out there, close and get 40 saves.”
Locking Walker into the ninth would go a long way toward answering some of the questions the Giants currently have at the back-end of their bullpen, but the club plans to evaluate all of its back end options this spring, including non-roster invitee Michael Fulmer, who also has previous closing experience in the Majors.
“I kind of like when it's open,” manager Tony Vitello said. “I kind of always favor competition and almost kind of fantasize about it a little bit, as far as things being up for grabs, because I think it pulls the best out of guys.”
Worth noting
- Vitello said right-hander Hayden Birdsong will “throw the first inning” of the Giants’ Cactus League opener against the Mariners at Peoria Sports Complex on Saturday at 3:10 p.m. PT.
- Rafael Devers and Harrison Bader each homered during the Giants’ five-inning simulated game at Scottsdale Stadium on Wednesday. Devers went deep on an inside sinker from Logan Webb, while Bader cranked a shot out to left-center field off pitching prospect Trent Harris.