Walker opened 2025 as San Francisco's closer, but a rough first few months (4.87 ERA) forced a demotion from the role. He'd regain it in later on in the campaign, but only after Camilo Doval was traded and Randy Rodriguez (elbow) got hurt. The 29-year-old narrowly edged out Doval for the Giants' team lead with 17 saves, but Walker significantly regressed compared to his breakout 2024 season. For starters, his K-rate plummeted nearly 10 percentage points, down to 22.6 percent that was a touch below league-average (49th percentile). Walker's slider simply didn't produce as many whiffs or strikeouts as it did the year prior. The 30-year-old also struggled down the stretch, pitching to a 7.88 ERA and 2.38 WHIP during the month of September, but he pitched better in-between both stints as the Giants closer last year. Perhaps Walker would be better off in a more fluid role in 2026, but that will be up to new manager Tony Vitello. Read Past Outlooks