The San Francisco Giants opened last season with Erik Miller as their lone left-handed option in the bullpen. If he’s healthy next year, he’s expected to be joined by fellow lefties Joey Lucchesi and Matt Gage.
SF Giants quietly added depth to key bullpen area in 2025
The Giants didn’t focus heavily on bullpen matchups last season, often relying on just one left-handed reliever through much of the first half.
While that approach seemed questionable, it rarely hurt them, as the bullpen ranked among the better groups in baseball. Randy Rodríguez’s success against left-handed hitters in 2025 helped balance things out.
When Erik Miller went down with an elbow sprain, Joey Lucchesi stepped in as the primary lefty, with Matt Gage joining him soon after.
Strong bullpens still benefit from matchup flexibility, and next season the Giants should be able to offer several different looks to opposing left-handed bats.
Miller will likely remain the top option, coming off a season where he posted a 1.50 ERA in 36 games and held lefties to a .578 OPS over 48 plate appearances.
Both Gage and Lucchesi also handled those matchups well — Gage limited lefties to a .574 OPS, while Lucchesi held them to .597. Overall, Gage recorded a 3.91 ERA in 25 outings, and Lucchesi logged a 3.76 ERA across 38 appearances.
When the bullpen lacked late-inning options, Lucchesi was often trusted in the eighth, though ideally both he and Gage would work in lower-leverage roles.
Facing NL West lefty sluggers like Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Corbin Carroll, the Giants benefit from having a mix of styles — Miller bringing more velocity, with Gage and Lucchesi relying on finesse.
The bullpen will still need a significant overhaul this offseason. There’s a solid foundation in place, but the team must add pitchers who can perform under pressure. A reunion with Tyler Rogers could help address that need, while the left-handed depth appears largely set.
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