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Caleb Kilian a Top Closer to Pick Up?
Although San Francisco Giants right-handed reliever Caleb Kilian only has one save in his seven appearances out of the bullpen in June, he is the preferred closing choice for manager Tony Vitello and the top option for saves in fantasy in San Francisco. In his first year in the Bay Area and his fourth in the big leagues, Kilian has gone 2-3 with a career-low 3.06 ERA (4.25 FIP), 1.11 WHIP, his first four career saves, 38 strikeouts, and 15 walks in 32 1/3 innings pitched. Tristan Beck picked up the Giants' last save on Wednesday, but Kilian still feels like the favorite for saves in this bullpen since Ryan Walker returned to the big leagues. Since allowing a season-high five earned runs against the Colorado Rockies in a blown save and a loss on May 29, Kilian has thrown 7 1/3 scoreless innings with four hits allowed, three walks, 11 strikeouts, a win, and a save. The former eighth-round pick in 2019 out of Texas Tech University isn't going to have a long leash if he struggles, but right now, he's your best bet if you're scrounging for saves on the waiver wire. Kilian is rostered in just 9% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Tristan Beck Earns First Save for Giants, Worth a Pick-Up in Deeper Leagues?
San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Tristan Beck earned his first save of the season on Wednesday against the Braves, as the Giants continue to use a committee approach to fill their closer role. Matt Gage started the ninth inning with his team leading 7-2, but he only recorded one out while allowing three runs on four straight hits. Beck came on with a three-run lead and retired Ozzie Albies on a groundout before striking out Austin Riley to end the game. Before Gage, the Giants used Sam Hentges and Ryan Walker in the seventh and eighth innings, but they never went to Caleb Kilian, who has been their primary closer lately. Kilian had pitched in three of the previous four games, and he'll likely remain the primary option in save situations for now. It is worth watching the situation, though, since Beck got the job done on Wednesday and could be worth a pick-up in deep leagues if he earns more high-leverage work.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Caleb Kilian Officially Named Giants Closer
San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello has officially named right-handed reliever Caleb Kilian as the team's closer, according to Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News. Right-hander Ryan Walker, who was recalled from the minors on Friday, will be in a "fireman" role. The 29-year-old Kilian and Keaton Winn have been involved in a closer-by-committee situation, but Vitello has made it clear that Kilian will be his preferred choice in the ninth inning now that Walker is back in the fold. In his first year in the Bay Area, Kilian has recorded a 3.34 ERA (4.75 FIP), 1.18 WHIP, his first four career saves, 32 strikeouts, and 15 walks in 29 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. Since blowing the save on May 29 against the Colorado Rockies, Kilian has tightened things up, throwing 4 2/3 scoreless innings with three hits allowed, three walks, five strikeouts, one win, and one save for the Gigantes. Fantasy managers desperate for saves should consider picking Kilian up, but just know that his leash will probably be very short. Kilian is rostered in fewer than 10% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: The San Jose Mercury News - Justice delos Santos
Source: The San Jose Mercury News - Justice delos Santos
Ryan Walker Recalled to Major Leagues, Will He Reclaim Closer Job?
San Francisco Giants right-hander Ryan Walker has been recalled from Triple-A Sacramento on Friday ahead of the team's weekend set against the Chicago Cubs. Walker opened 2026 as the Giants' primary closer but was sent down in early May after recording a 6.46 ERA and 1.89 WHIP with 14 strikeouts and three blown saves across his first 15 1/3 innings of the season. The 30-year-old performed much better in Triple-A, logging a 1.93 ERA and 1.07 WHIP with seven strikeouts and one save across 8 1/3 innings (nine games). Upon his return, Walker may be the favorite to eventually reclaim the closer role in San Francisco. The Giants have used a committee approach in the ninth inning since demoting Walker, with right-hander Caleb Kilian currently leading the team with four saves. Despite his recent struggles, Walker has logged 30 saves for the Giants since the start of the 2024 season and could be worth targeting on the waiver wire now that he's back in San Francisco.
Source: San Francisco Giants
Source: San Francisco Giants
Keaton Winn Stumbles in Save Opportunity, No Longer Worth Rostering?
San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Keaton Winn entered a save situation on Monday night, but he gave up three runs to the Nationals and took the loss. He got James Wood to start the inning, but he left the game after a double, a hit-by-pitch, and a pair of singles turned a 3-1 lead into a 4-3 deficit. He fell to 2-2 with the loss and was charged with three earned runs on three hits with one strikeout. His blown save spoiled a great start from Logan Webb and caused Winn's ERA to climb to 3.23 in his 30 2/3 innings this year. Winn has allowed a run in four of his last six appearances and could lose ground to Caleb Kilian in the Giants' closer timeshare. For now, Kilian seems to be the relief pitcher to target in San Francisco, although the shaky bullpen is a high-risk situation overall.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Dylan Smith Earns First Save on Sunday Night, Worth Monitoring in Deeper Leagues?
San Francisco Giants reliever Dylan Smith earned the save in extra innings on Sunday night as he preserved a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the 10th inning against the Chicago Cubs. Smith entered the inning with the runner on second base and proceeded to strike out Michael Conforto and get Michael Busch and Alex Bregman to pop out to shortstop. Smith has spent most of his 2026 season in Triple-A this year, and now has three appearances at the MLB level, two of which came since his call-up earlier in the week. At Triple-A, he had a 3.98 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 20 1/3 innings pitched and a 10.18 K/9. In his 15 appearances at Triple-A, he only had one save, and the save on Sunday night for Smith was the first of his career at the MLB level, so fantasy managers shouldn't be sprinting to the waiver wires to pick him up. This appeared to be more a result of having to pitch in extra innings than of Smith being the closer. Nonetheless, the Giants' closer position has been a bit of a carousel this season, so it is worth monitoring Smith's usage to see if the Giants give him more opportunities down the stretch.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Caleb Kilian Earns Fourth Save, Has he Fully Claimed Giants Closer Job?
San Francisco Giants right-hander Caleb Kilian earned the save on Thursday against the Milwaukee Brewers and has now converted on four of his five save opportunities on the season with a 1.19 WHIP and 3.58 ERA with 30 strikeouts and 14 walks through 27 2/3 innings pitched. While the Giants' closer role has been frustrating to figure out all season, Kilian appears to be taking control of that job, as his surface stats, stuff, and recent save opportunities appear to point in that direction. Additionally, Ryan Walker, who is leading the team with six save opportunities, was sent down to Triple-A on May 10, so he is not a threat to compete with Kilian for the time being. Kilian does not have any prior closing experience, so while he appears to be in the driver's seat for the job, his leash will be short; however, in formats where saves are scarce, Kilian is worth a waiver-wire add in deeper formats.
Source: Baseball Savant
Source: Baseball Savant
Keaton Winn Earns First Save, Worth a Look in Deeper Leagues?
San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Keaton Winn got the call to close out his team's 1-0 win over the Brewers on Wednesday night. Winn came in with one out in the eighth inning and two runners on base. He got pinch-hitter Gary Sanchez to ground into a double play, and he returned for the ninth inning and worked around a leadoff double by Christian Yelich to secure the one-run win. The 28-year-old righty has 11 holds in his 26 games this season and earned his first save in Wednesday's win. He has a solid 2.30 ERA and 2.77 FIP, and he has been one of the Giants' best options out of the bullpen. Manager Tony Vitello has used a closer committee all year long, so Winn isn't likely to lock up the full-time job alone. However, he seems to be trending into a bigger role and makes sense as a waiver wire option in deep leagues if you are searching for saves and solid relief innings.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Caleb Kilian Remains a Strong Source of Saves in Standard Leagues
San Francisco Giants reliever Caleb Kilian had a rough outing on Friday in Colorado against the Rockies, allowing two homers and five earned runs across two-thirds of an inning. However, even with the recent blow-up, Kilian's overall numbers for the season are strong. Across 26 innings (24 games), the 29-year-old has pitched to a 3.86 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 29 strikeouts and three saves. Kilian's average fastball velocity currently sits at 96.9 miles per hour, and he's struck out 26.9% of the batters he's faced. The Giants have utilized multiple relievers in the ninth inning this season, so fantasy managers should not expect Kilian to see every San Francisco save opportunity. Still, the hard-throwing right-hander has emerged as a quality source of both saves and strikeouts for deep-league fantasy managers to target on the waiver wire.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Giants Promote Wilkin Ramos to Majors, Worth an Add After Strong Start at Triple-A?
San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Wilkin Ramos has been called up ahead of Monday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Ramos will serve as bullpen depth after a strong start to the season in Triple-A. Across 27 innings, Ramos posted a 2.00 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and a 27:7 K:BB ratio across 17 appearances in the minors. He'll likely start in low-leverage spots, but Ramos could quickly earn his way up the depth chart in San Francisco. He's someone to keep an eye on as a potential closer candidate down the road.
Source: Milb Central
Source: Milb Central
Caleb Kilian Blows First Save on Friday, Should Managers be Concerned?
San Francisco Giants right-hander Caleb Kilian endured his first blown save of the season on Friday, allowing five earned runs on five hits, including two home runs, in a loss to the Colorado Rockies. The rough outing was an unusual one for Kilian, who entered the game with a 2.22 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. The 28-year-old is tied for the team lead with three saves and has been one of the Giants' most effective relievers this season. After missing all of 2025 because of injuries, Kilian has found new life in San Francisco following a transition from the rotation to the bullpen. Fantasy managers should remain optimistic despite the disappointing outing. His underlying metrics remain encouraging, but his ability to bounce back from his first significant stumble of the season will be worth monitoring in the coming weeks.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Caleb Kilian Sharp En Route to Tallying Save, Continues to Emerge as Primary Closer
San Francisco Giants right-hander Caleb Kilian delivered a dominant ninth inning Sunday in a win vs. the Chicago White Sox, striking out all three batters he faced to earn his third save of the season. The outing served as an important rebound after Kilian allowed two earned runs in his previous appearance. The 28-year-old has continued emerging as a reliable high-leverage arm during his first season with San Francisco and is making a strong case for additional save opportunities. Kilian now owns a 2.42 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP while showing improved swing-and-miss ability. His 25.0 K% is comfortably the best mark of his career, and the Giants may continue leaning on him late in games as he competes with Erik Miller for ninth-inning duties.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Caleb Kilian Stumbles in High-Leverage Spot, Falling Out of Closer Committee?
Although San Francisco Giants right-handed reliever Caleb Kilian picked up a hold on Tuesday night, he was also hit with the loss in the 5-3 defeat at the hands of the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks. Kilian struggled in a high-leverage spot, allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits while striking out one to pick up his second loss of the season. The 28-year-old earned his second save on May 12 in a scoreless appearance with a strikeout against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers, but he also allowed a solo home run in two-thirds of an inning against the Athletics on May 16. So Kilian has now allowed three earend runs in two innings in his last two appearances, and in May, he's surrendered seven runs (five earned) on seven hits (two homers) while walking five and striking out six in 7 1/3 frames with two losses, two saves, and a hold. Lefty Matt Gage blew the save against Arizona on Tuesday night, but Kilian is firmly on the hot seat in San Fran's closer-by-committee approach, with Keaton Winn and Erik Miller trending up for fantasy managers desperate for saves.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Matt Gage Earns First Save, Worth Stashing in Closer Committee?
San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Matt Gage was called upon to hold a two-run lead against the Athletics on Saturday. The Giants called on Gage after Erik Miller and Caleb Kilian were already used in the game. Gage tossed a scoreless final frame to earn his first career save on Saturday. Gage has a 1.40 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, but his 11 walks across 19.1 innings are a concern. Gage may end up in the closer committee going forward, which makes him someone worth considering stashing in deep leagues. The Giants don't have a full-time closer, so Gage should likely get more looks.
Source: mlb.com
Source: mlb.com
Caleb Kilian Used in Setup Role, Should Fantasy Managers Be Concerned?
San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Caleb Kilian was earning more looks as a closer, but he could be falling back into a setup role. Kilian earned the save on Tuesday when he tossed 1.1 scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers. On Saturday, Kilian was used to get the final two outs of the eighth inning against the Athletics. After that, Matt Gage was handed the ball to finish out the final frame. It appears the Giants aren't committed to using one closer at the moment. Kilian has pitched well with a 1.40 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 19 strikeouts across 19.1 innings of work this season. His overall fantasy value could take a hit if he ends up in a committee role with Gage and possibly others.
Source: mlb.com
Source: mlb.com
