By Jack Loder
If you were to ask Tony Vitello and the Giants to assess their first big road trip of the season, they’d probably tell you it was underwhelming. The Giants went 4-5 in a nine game trip that featured visits to Baltimore, Cincinnati, and Washington DC. In that sense, it was just ok.
But unlike the first two weeks of the season, it doesn’t take much digging to find legitimate positives. The bats got hot in DC on Friday and Saturday, before hibernating again on Sunday. Heliot Ramos, Jung Hoo Lee, and Willy Adames all swung it better than they had in the first 14 games.
Perhaps most importantly, the Giants found their fire during the matinee finale in Cincy on Thursday. Benches cleared, expletives were generously thrown around by Erik Miller for all to see and hear, and the Giants did something they’ve rarely done over the last decade or so. They exuded swagger. That’s exactly what a large portion of the fanbase figured they’d get with their fiery college manager at the helm. A fire and swagger that hasn’t had much of a chance to show itself during a 9-13 first 22 games.
But when Erik Miller told Sal Stewart to “sit the f**k down” after striking him out to end the game Thursday, the energy was palpable. When Tony Vitello and his former Tennessee star Drew Gilbert shadow boxed before Saturday’s first pitch, the juvenile nature in the dugout was refreshing. And when Vitello pumped his fist and let out a primal yell as the Giants won in dramatic fashion on Saturday, it looked exactly like the character we saw in Tennessee volunteer orange. Loud, brash, and absolutely unflinching in his dedication to being himself. That will amount to wins.
In the bullpen, what was once a humble untouched lump of clay is starting to take crude shape. It may not resemble the most dominant units in the league, but roles are being defined. Caleb Killian and the aforementioned Erik Miller both showed upside as late inning leverage guys who at least somewhat transcend righty-lefty matchups. Ryan Walker wilted again in the ninth inning on Sunday, but had success in a tight spot Saturday and earlier on the trip. The team’s biggest weakness is chipping away at that unflattering designation day by day.
Patrick Bailey continued to be anemic at the plate during this road trip. He’s now 8-53 on the year, all eight of those hits are singles. He still provides value behind the plate with elite framing and a quick pop time, but the lack of any shred of production at the plate is getting old fast. To make matters worse, Bailey dropped what would have been a sure out at the plate on Sunday in a tie game, allowing the Nationals to score what would be the game-winning run. Bailey is far from the only issue at the plate, but he’s becoming the most egregious.
Back to the positives. Landen Roupp continues to surge early in 2026, turning in a dominant outing on Thursday against the Reds. His ERA sits at a pretty 2.38 through 22 innings. Without a cap on his innings total this season, Roupp could be a pivotal asset throughout the campaign.
The Dodgers are in town this week, offering the Giants one of their first real tests of the year. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, and Tyler Glasnow are slotted to go for the Dodgers. It would be an understatement to say Giants’ runs will be at a premium. Pitching and defense will have to be nearly perfect in order for SF to take two out of three from the hated two-time defending champs.
What else will the Giants need? Rafael Devers being Rafael Devers. He’s swinging through fat pitches, striking out way too much, and sporting a below average bat speed so far in 2026. He’s one of the Giants’ most expensive stars, and the most established bat in the order. If his struggles continue, he’ll massively impact the Giants’ ceiling this season.
