Giants Have Perfect Blend of Youth and Experience in Starting Rotation

One of the reasons why the San Francisco Giants have experienced so much success during the 2025 MLB regular season has been the performance of their pitching staff.

The Giants currently have a team ERA of 3.25, which is fourth-best in baseball. Their ERA+ of 119 is tied for fourth and their FIP of 3.39 is third best.

One of the players who is performing up to expectations is veteran left-handed pitcher Robbie Ray.

Acquired from the Seattle Mariners ahead of the 2024 campaign, his first season with the Giants was not up to par as he worked his way back from Tommy John surgery. Another year removed from the procedure, he is starting to look more like the front-end starter San Francisco thought they were getting.

The 2021 AL Cy Young Award winner has been excellent in 2025, with a pitching staff-leading 1.8 WAR. He is 7-0 across his first 11 starts with a strong 2.56 ERA in 63.1 innings.

With him performing at such a high level, the Giants have one of the better one-two punches in baseball with him anchoring the staff alongside the team’s ace, Logan Webb.

Also performing at a high level with a 2.67 ERA across 11 starts and 67.1 innings, Webb and Ray are going to be relied upon to continue carrying the load for the starting rotation, especially with so much youth rounding out the other three spots.

Giants Pitching Staff Coming Together at Right Time

Landen Roupp has been there all season, but an injury to Justin Verlander and Jordan Hicks being shifted to the bullpen has youngsters Hayden Birdsong and Kyle Harrison back in the starting rotation.

It is a great mix of experience and youth, something Ray believes the team is feeding off of.

“I think the energy, the focus, the intent, it’s infectious,” Ray said via Maria Guardado of MLB.com. “I think we’re just building off each other. We’re trying to go out there and do what we’re supposed to do as starting pitchers, and that’s set the tone.”

Roupp has been solid all campaign for San Francisco, while Birdsong and Harrison offer some legitimate upside for the team.

The tone the starters are looking to set is carrying over to the bullpen, where manager Bob Melvin has several weapons to choose from in what is emerging as one of the best relief staffs in the game.

That level of pitching is what will keep the Giants competitive in a loaded National League.

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