Hayden Birdsong

Birdsong began last season at Double-A Richmond but wound up making 16 starts for the Giants. He flashed plenty of swing-and-miss ability with a 27.9 percent strikeout rate and a pair of double-digit strikeout outings, but the young right-hander also had an ugly 13.7 percent walk rate and completed six innings in just one of his 16 starts. Birdsong has three legitimate secondary pitches in his curveball, changeup and slider, with each garnering a whiff rate of at least 32.7 percent and all three offerings earning excellent Stuff+ grades. However, his Location+ of 92 was among the worst in baseball for a regular starter, which no doubt was the main reason why opponents had an obscene 50 percent hard-hit rate. There's legitimate upside with Birdsong and he could open 2025 in the Giants' rotation, but he'll have to improve his command and control to be a reliable option in fantasy. Read Past Outlooks