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While Ryan Walker did lock down the save for the San Francisco Giants in their first win of the season, it was anything but easy.
Entering the 2026 season, the closer situation was a huge question mark for the San Francisco Giants. And while the Giants earned their first victory of the season with a 2-1 victory over the San Diego Padres, it did little to quell those concerns.
The March 30 win over the Padres was not only the first victory of the season for the Giants, but it was their first time holding a lead all season. So, for the first time in 2026, Ryan Walker was called upon to close out a game. Walker did pick up the save. Unfortunately for the Giants and their fans, it was anything but a smooth ride.
Ryan Walker Struggled With His Control
When a closer enters the game with a three-run lead, the primary objective is to throw strikes. If an opposing player is going to reach base, make him earn it with a hit — even if that hit is a home run.
So, it became immediately alarming when Walker lived up to his name against the first hitter he faced, Jake Cronenworth. Not only did Walker issue a free pass to Cronenworth but he did so on four pitches. Walker righted the ship by striking out the next batter, Fernando Tatis Jr., but even that came with something of a footnote.
After falling behind in the count to Tatis, Walker’s 2-1 pitch missed high. The Giants caught a break when home plate umpire Lance Barksdale called the pitch a ball. They caught an even bigger break when Tatis elected not to use ABS to review the pitch.
What are we doing not challenging this? It’s the bottom of the ninth and would’ve made this a 3-1 count
The difference between a 3-1 count and a 2-2 count is massive, especially when facing a hitter as dangerous as Tatis. Walker, to his credit, took full advantage of the good break, striking Tatis out on the next pitch. With that, Walker kept his mulligan. That came in handy two hitters later.
After Manny Machado was retired on a groundout, Jackson Merrill came to the plate with two outs. The control issues that plagued Walker in the inning seemed to be gone, as he worked a 1-2 count against Merrill. But after a Walker missed the strike zone with his next two pitches, Merrill drilled Walker’s 3-2 offering into the seats.
Walker retired the following hitter, Xander Bogaerts, to end the game. But the struggles that led to the successful save did not go unnoticed.
Walker’s Struggles Did Not Go Unnoticed
If the home run were his only blemish, Walker’s outing wouldn’t be as notable. It would even be less notable if Cronenworth had reached base via a hit instead of a four-pitch walk. The benefit of a three-run lead is that you can be more aggressive in the strike zone.
That said, exactly half of the 22 pitches Walker threw were balls. That percentage would be even higher if the 2-1 pitch to Tatis had been challenged or called correctly.
Even before the home run, Nick Newman, formerly of All 49ers, compared the situation to one the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers had with kicker Jake Moody before cutting ties with him after just one game of the 2025 season.
“I’m in /been in absolute disbelief that the Giants brought back Ryan Walker to close,” Newman said on X, formerly Twitter. “Feels like the 49ers bringing back Jake Moody before eventually cutting ties mid-season. Hopefully Walker has a good start to the year.”
I’m in /been in absolute disbelief that the Giants brought back Ryan Walker to close.
Feels like the 49ers bringing back Jake Moody before eventually cutting ties mid-season.
Hopefully Walker has a good start to the year.
He was not alone. Other people who watched Walker struggle through the ninth inning were critical of Walker’s performance and the decision to use him as the closer.
Was just thinking to myself I wonder if Ryan Walker is already in his head with the Keaton Winn closer chatter, he is.
This can’t go on much longer.
RYAN WALKER IS NOT A CLOSER GIANTS IDC THAT WE WON PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT
Ryan Walker told us of his hard work on the mental side: here’s a test …
One bad outing doesn’t make a season. The concern with Walker is well earned, though. In 2025, he struggled to a 4.11 ERA, 1.27 WHIP while walking 2.6 hitters per nine innings.
The 2026 season is still young. Walker has time to right the ship. That said, if he doesn’t right the ship quickly, the frustration from Giants’ fans and criticism from around the MLB world will only get louder.
Michael Dixon Michael Dixon has over 15 years of experience in journalism, both online and in print. While originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, he presently lives in the greater Indianapolis area. He’s also previously lived and worked in Arizona.
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