The San Francisco Giants failed in 2026. There is no reason to soften that assessment.

San Francisco had an outside chance to reach the postseason, especially considering the talent on its roster. Instead, the Giants finished fourth in the National League West, 35 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, and regressed in several areas.

Blaming everything on president of baseball operations Buster Posey would be too simplistic. However, Posey deserves some responsibility, particularly for the players San Francisco acquired and the timing of those additions.

Pitching must become the Giants’ primary focus this offseason. It was the biggest reason for their collapse and should be their leading priority before 2027.

San Francisco finished 23rd in MLB with a 4.33 team ERA. That was not acceptable for a roster that entered 2026 with expectations of contending.

The Giants also never established a permanent closer, creating another major problem. San Francisco reluctantly traded former All-Star closer Camilo Doval at the 2025 trade deadline.

After unsuccessful tenures with the New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates, he returned to the Giants.

Doval has previously experienced considerable success in San Francisco and remains comfortable there, giving the Giants a possible late-inning option without forcing them to depend entirely on him.

The starting pitching market is less clear, and the organization must evaluate its pitching staff. Tyler Mahle recorded a 5.13 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 94.2 innings over 18 starts for the Giants.

He then produced a 1.99 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 54.1 innings over nine regular season starts with the Atlanta Braves.

Mahle continued that improvement by posting a 1.35 ERA and 0.83 WHIP in 13.1 innings over two postseason starts. Meanwhile, Logan Webb regressed in 2026, and other pitchers failed to deliver.

The Giants must improve at identifying necessary in-season changes to a pitcher’s arsenal and using available factors to their advantage.

If Atlanta could produce such a drastic turnaround from Mahle, San Francisco should be capable of helping its pitchers make similar adjustments.

That responsibility extends beyond making expensive additions. The Giants need coaches who can diagnose mechanical problems, recognize when a pitch has lost effectiveness and develop corrections before an entire season unravels.

San Francisco also needs clearly defined roles.

Relievers perform better when communication is direct and expectations are established, while starters require individualized plans that account for their repertoires instead of forcing every pitcher into the same philosophy.

Posey must add talent, but the organization also has to extract more from the pitchers already available.

Mahle’s turnaround after leaving San Francisco exposed a development problem that cannot be ignored. Fixing the pitching staff requires better personnel, sharper evaluation and instruction capable of producing meaningful adjustments during the season.