Why Giants feel Tyler Mahle is right for rotation behind Bruce Bochy endorsement originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO — As they sat through lengthy discussions about free agents and trade targets last month at the MLB Winter Meetings, Giants officials learned something about Bruce Bochy’s approach to being an advisor for Buster Posey. The longtime manager doesn’t hold back when he feels strongly that a player is not the right fit.
Advertisement
When Bochy likes a player, though, that carries a lot of extra weight, and the latest addition to the roster came with a strong endorsement.
Right-hander Tyler Mahle pitched for Bochy for two seasons with the Texas Rangers, and in the first half of last season, he was one of his best players. Bochy told assistant GM Jeremy Shelley early in the offseason that he thought Mahle was a talent worth pursuing and elaborated at the Winter Meetings while talking to president of baseball operations Buster Posey, general manager Zack Minasian, manager Tony Vitello and others.
“It’s one thing to see it in a text message or on a phone call. It’s quite another to sit across from a Hall of Fame manager and hear them say, ‘I really believe in this guy,’” Minasian recalled Monday. “It was certainly encouraging and obviously we’re happy we were able to get this done.”
Mahle’s one-year, $10 million contract became official Monday, effectively setting the Giants’ rotation heading into the 2026 MLB season. The Giants will continue to look at their options, but they have Mahle, fellow addition Adrian Houser and Landen Roupp set to join Logan Webb and Robbie Ray, and they feel good about that.
Advertisement
“I think we’re very comfortable with the five that we have and then the bundle of [young] arms we have behind them,” Minasian said.
It’s a solid group, but one that needs avenues to more upside. The hope is that Mahle, who was pitching like an MLB All-Star early last season, can provide that.
The 31-year-old signed with the Giants after a strong but injury-shortened season with the Rangers. That has been a theme in his career, as he has made more than 20 starts just twice over the past six seasons, but he said he fixed some mechanical issues that were “huge red flags” and were leading to extra stress on his shoulder.
Back at full health, Mahle should be a good fit for Oracle Park. He opened his 2025 season by pitching 40 2/3 innings without allowing a homer, and he ended up giving up just five over 86 2/3 innings.
Advertisement
Mahle has a four-pitch mix, led by a four-seamer that he commands well and uses roughly half of the time he comes down the mound. His splitter was particularly effective last season, holding opposing hitters to a .196 average. He said Monday that he’s also working on a new breaking ball that can be effective against right-handed hitters.
While his best numbers came in 2025, Mahle has had other strong stretches in the big leagues while pitching for three franchises. He posted a 3.75 ERA over 33 starts for the Cincinnati Reds in 2021 and had 28 strikeouts to five walks — along with a 3.16 ERA — over his first five starts with the Minnesota Twins in 2023. That season ended early because of Tommy John surgery.
Mahle signed with the Rangers as he was rehabbing and dealt with season-ending shoulder soreness after he returned to the mound. He also went on the IL with a rotator cuff strain last June and was sidelined about three months, an injury caused by a mechanical change he tried to make without the guidance of Rangers coaches.
When Mahle returned for two late-season starts, he showed the same form. Over 9 2/3 innings he allowed just one run and struck out 10, with his velocity settling into its normal range.
Advertisement
Mahle said it “was big” to get out there in September and prove to himself that the rehab was done correctly. He has been throwing for several weeks and said this is the best he has felt physically since 2021, his only full season in a rotation.
The plan this year is to reach that mark again, and Mahle said the Giants were near the top of the list when he hit MLB free agency. The Orange County native has a 3-year-old and 1-year-old, so being on the West Coast was a priority. He also cited the ballpark, the team colors (which he has always liked), and Gold Glove catcher Patrick Bailey as draws.
The Giants had opportunities to go big this offseason, but opted for short-term options in Houser and Mahle. The hope is that they build on what they showed in 2025, and Mahle is optimistic that he can do that.
“I think I can carry what I was doing over to the Giants,” Mahle said of his 2025 season. “There wasn’t really one thing. It was just that I was pitching well and [got] some lucky breaks, too, like we all get, but I was making pitches when I needed to make pitches and things were going well for me.
“I definitely think I can carry that over to San Francisco and hopefully get better.”
