After an elite 2024 campaign, San Francisco Giants right-hander Ryan Walker experienced quite the regression in 2025.  

Walker went from posting a 10-4 record and a 1.91 ERA across 76 games in 2024 to a 5-7 record and a 4.11 ERA through 68 appearances in 2025, indicating a dramatic fall off. Recently, Maria Guardado of MLB.com dove deeper into Walker’s rickety season. 

“The 30-year-old right-hander entered the season as San Francisco’s closer, a role he ascended to amid Camilo Doval’s struggles the previous year,” Guardado wrote. “But the two ended up flip-flopping in 2025, with Doval reclaiming ninth-inning duties in May following a rough start from Walker.” 

“Walker got another shot at closing after Doval was shipped to the Yankees at the Trade Deadline and Randy Rodríguez underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery in September. Even so, consistency on the mound remained elusive. He finished the year with a career-high 4.11 ERA over 68 outings and seven blown saves, a significant dip from 2024, when he logged a stellar 1.91 ERA over 76 appearances (one start).” 

Walker’s xERA and FIP provide additional context for his struggles, but overall, much of his difficult year fell on his shoulders. 

“Walker’s 3.81 xERA and 3.30 FIP suggest there might have been some bad luck involved, but he also had a harder time putting hitters away, with his strikeout rate falling from 32.1% in 2024 to 22.6% in ‘25,” Guardado added. 

For Giants general manager Zack Minasian, the struggles Walker faced in 2025 can lend to growth in the future. 

“I think Walk was up and down,” Minasian said at the Winter Meetings. “I think he showed some flashes of dominance. I think there were times that he struggled.”  

“He’s still a relatively young pitcher in terms of service time. I think it's really important for those players to go through that and realize they can come out on the other end.” 

According to Minasian, the ups and downs Walker experienced can be a symptom of being a bullpen pitcher. 

“A lot of times you see this with bullpen arms. They can get on a roll, they get used a lot and then you see maybe a little bit of downturn the next year. Then they don't get used as much, and then you see a little bit of upturn the following year. So you can see a little bit of that yo-yo of performance.” 

Despite Walker’s struggles, the Giants are still relying on Walker to return to form. 

“He's somebody right now we're counting on,” Minasian said. “He's one of our more proven arms, so hopefully it was a valuable experience for him to kind of go through that and realize he is a very good Major League bullpen arm, because we need him.” 

Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!

It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.

Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!