Giants Name Closer, Ending by-Committee Approach

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Giants Name Closer, Ending by-Committee Approach

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By John Sparaco | Last updated Jun 13, 2026 2:17 PM ET

For the first few months of the season, the San Francisco Giants did not have a clear-cut closer. That changed Friday night.

Prior to their series opener against the Chicago Cubs, manager Tony Vitello named right-hander Caleb Kilian as the Giants’ closer. The decision marked a departure from the club’s previous by-committee approach, opting to move forward with stricter roles in what has been a struggling bullpen.

As of Saturday morning, the Giants’ bullpen ranks 19th in ERA (4.39), 25th in WHIP (1.46) and 28th in strikeouts (204). The unit has blown leads against the Colorado Rockies, Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals over the past two weeks, and last Thursday, it nearly squandered a nine-run cushion against the Milwaukee Brewers.

“We talked to several of those guys about just getting more organized,” Vitello said Friday. “The bullpen’s all about chaos, but the more you can have a baseline, I think it brings out the best in the group.”

Tony Vitello has officially named a closer: Caleb Kilian.

Ryan Walker will be in a “fireman” role.
— Justice delos Santos (@justdelossantos) June 12, 2026

San Francisco had one of the better relief units in baseball last season before trading away Camilo Doval and impending free agent Tyler Rogers at the deadline. Their departures opened up the ninth inning for breakout All-Star Randy Rodríguez, who wound up on the injured list in late August before undergoing Tommy John surgery. Despite this, the club did not spend much on the bullpen over the winter.

Kilian, 29, was among a handful of relievers brought in on minor league deals this past offseason. The right-hander spent most of 2025 on the minor league injured list and was hit hard in limited big league action over the previous three seasons, but so far in 2026, he has been one of San Francisco’s most dependable high-leverage arms.

Through 28 appearances this season, Kilian has converted four of five save opportunities while posting a 3.34 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 9.7 K/9 rate. He allowed only one earned run in his first 14 appearances before struggling to a 7.50 ERA in May. So far in June, he appears to be back on track with 3.2 scoreless innings over four appearances.

Vitello’s decision to name Kilian closer coincided with the return of Ryan Walker, the last Giants pitcher to formally hold that title. Walker has recorded 30 saves over the past three seasons but allowed 12 runs in his first 15.1 innings this year, leading to a five-week stint in the minors.

The Giants will now trust Walker to help handle lower-leverage spots before the ninth inning, with hopes that more defined roles will bring out the best in their bullpen.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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