Hayden Birdsong News: Working on mechanics this offseason

Birdsong has been working on staying more upright with his deliver this offseason as he looks to improve his command, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

In his first 16 appearances (five starts) last season, Birdsong collected a 2.79 ERA and 51:19 K:BB over 48.1 innings. He then posted a 10.38 ERA and 17:18 K:BB over his next five outings, got optioned to Triple-A Sacramento and never returned to the majors. Birdsong believes he was "over-bending," which made his arm slot rise and the movement on his pitches get out of whack. The 24-year-old is pleased with his mechanical work over the winter, and he's also tentatively planning to pitch exclusively from the stretch in 2026 after he used a windup in 2025 for the first time since college. There's currently not room for Birdsong in the Giants' rotation, and he's had trouble throwing strikes both in the majors (13.1 percent walk rate) and minors (11.3 percent walk rate). However, with a 25.4 percent strikeout rate in the majors and 32.3 percent strikeout rate in the minors, Birdsong could still have upside if he's able to get his walk rate to an acceptable level.