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Twins, Dodgers, and the Giants’ last home auditions for 2027
Well, Giants fans, the final homestand is upon us. Minnesota comes to Oracle Park September 21–23, followed by the Dodgers September 25–27. Six games. Two very different visiting teams. And one rather important question for the home club:
Who should still be wearing orange and black when this starts counting again next spring?
The Giants are 64–90. October is somebody else’s problem. But if you think these last six home games are meaningless, try telling that to a young player fighting for a job—or to a Dodgers fan who has already decided how the weekend is supposed to end. Expect some booing from the faithful during the last homestand.
We cannot rescue this season. We can still learn something from it. And, with a little cooperation from the baseball gods, inconvenience Los Angeles along the way.
THE TWINS: ALIVE, BUT LOOKING FOR A MIRACLE.
Minnesota arrives first, Monday through Wednesday, September 21–23. As of the close of play September 18, the Twins were 72–82, seven games behind Cleveland in the American League Central and six games out of the final AL Wild Card position, with eight games remaining.
That is not a comfortable playoff chase. That is a request for emergency assistance.
The important distinction: Minnesota had not yet been mathematically eliminated in the official standings. But the Twins need wins immediately, losses from the clubs ahead of them, and help untangling a crowded race. Their position can change before they even unpack in San Francisco. By Monday, this could be a last-gasp survival series—or a series between two clubs already taking inventory for next year.
So, let’s not sell this as a showdown with an October powerhouse. It isn’t. If Minnesota remains alive, every game at Oracle becomes close to an elimination game in practical terms. If the Twins are out, the Giants still have an obligation to play crisp baseball rather than decide that September has become optional.
For the youngsters, either version is useful. Can a young pitcher get ahead of hitters instead of donating baserunners? Can the lineup manufacture a run without requiring three hits and a favorable ruling from the universe? Can a rookie make the ordinary defensive play when the game is tied?
Those are 2027 questions disguised as late-September baseball.
THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAN TEAM: OCTOBER IS ASSURED. THE ROUTE IS NOT.
Then comes the "team that shall not be named" for the final weekend, September 25-27.
They stood at 94–60 through September 18, nine games ahead of San Diego with eight games left. The division is settled. The postseason positioning is not.
Milwaukee was 96–58 and Atlanta 90–64. That put LA two games behind the Brewers for the National League’s best record and four ahead of the Braves. The two highest-seeded division winners receive first-round byes; the third division winner must play in the Wild Card round. Depending on what happens before LA reaches Oracle, this series could matter for the No. 1 seed, the bye, or home-field positioning deeper into October.
It is NOT a battle to keep LA out of the playoffs. That ship has sailed, regrettably, with what we believe is the largest payroll in the major leagues, proving that almost anything can be bought.
But making LA work for their preferred October itinerary? That remains a perfectly respectable civic activity.
There is a development angle here, too. A young hitter facing a contender’s best available pitching learns more than he does collecting comfortable at-bats in a game nobody is trying especially hard to win. And a young reliever protecting a one-run lead against Los Angeles discovers quickly whether his best pitch is actually good enough.
If the seeding is resolved before Friday, LA may emphasize rest and postseason preparation. We should acknowledge that possibility rather than promise six games of pennant-race drama. Either way, the Giants ought to bring the same effort.
WHICH KIDS ARE REALLY PART OF THE ANSWER?
The current roster is not merely younger. It has been radically rearranged by injuries and trades. Luis Arraez, Heliot Ramos, and Patrick Bailey are gone. Among the position players who started on Opening Day, Jung Hoo Lee is the one who has avoided both a trade and a season-ending injury.
That makes opportunity plentiful. It does not make every September replacement a future regular.
Bryce Eldridge is the centerpiece. His current season line—.269, 17 home runs, and an .825 OPS in 448 plate appearances—offers something more substantial than prospect enthusiasm. There is already major league production here. There are also 119 strikeouts, so the work on pitch recognition and two-strike decisions is hardly finished. A head laceration kept him out of the September 18 lineup; MLB listed his expected return as September 19. That needs checking before Monday, not turning into a new medical saga.
For 2027, the sensible construction remains Eldridge and a healthy Rafael Devers sharing first base and designated hitter. The Giants need both bats. Eldridge also needs actual defensive work at first, not an early-career label that says “designated hitter, handle with care.”
Jonah Cox may be the most entertaining audition. He is hitting .295 with 13 steals in 136 plate appearances, and the Giants have used him in center field and at second base. Speed, range, and positional flexibility can earn a roster spot even when the bat is still developing. But 50 strikeouts against seven walks is a warning label. His batting average is encouraging; it is not a guarantee that the contact issues have disappeared.
Drew Gilbert has a broader major-league sample: 126 games, 10 homers, and a .706 OPS. The .232 average is not going to sell commemorative plates, but there is a plausible outfield role here. Gilbert and Cox offer different offensive profiles and could share center-field work, with Gilbert also available in a corner. My preference is to give both meaningful starts now, including selected uncomfortable matchups, rather than shelter them so thoroughly that the Giants reach November still guessing.
Marcelo Mayer belongs in the conversation even though he is not currently playing. His left-ulna bone stress reaction has kept him out since June; he was running the bases in Los Angeles on September 18. A late return is possible, not promised. His health and eventual infield fit matter much more than squeezing a ceremonial appearance out of the final week.
Casey Schmitt, recovering from knee surgery, is another credible 2027 piece. At catcher, injured Daniel Susac and Jesus Rodriguez need to be part of the winter assessment alongside the healthy options. Neither a fractured kneecap nor elbow neuritis should be waved away because the depth chart looks inconvenient.
Then there is the second group: Grant McCray, Scott Bandura, Victor Bericoto, Turner Hill, and the rest of the auditioning outfielders. Some may help. They cannot all make the team. Bandura’s first handful of games is not a verdict, and McCray’s current .153 average is not a persuasive claim on an everyday job.
My early call: Eldridge is foundational; Gilbert and Cox have credible roster cases; Mayer’s health could materially change the infield picture; and the remaining openings should stay open to competition. “Let the kids play” is a development policy, not a lifetime appointment.
THE PITCHING: FIND ROLES, NOT JUST AVAILABLE ARMS.
Landen Roupp has already done something valuable: taken the ball for 29 starts and 155 innings, with a 4.01 ERA. He is no longer just a spring-training possibility. The next step is better command—75 walks leave considerable room for improvement—and a workload plan that respects the innings he has already accumulated.
Blade Tidwell is a different assignment. The Giants have given him regular starts since the trade deadline, which is the right way to answer a real question: starter, reliever, or something between the two? His overall 4.56 ERA does not tell the whole story. Reporting earlier this month showed that his pitch-quality indicators had declined when he moved from relief into the rotation. The coaches need to determine whether that reflects pacing, execution, or a role better suited to shorter outings.
A useful September is not necessarily one in which Tidwell posts two pretty box scores. It is one in which the club learns which version of him can help most in 2027.
Trent Harris has made a particularly strong bullpen argument: a 2.33 ERA, 25 strikeouts, and seven walks in 19⅓ innings. Small sample? Absolutely. Worth testing in consequential innings? Also absolutely. Give him some responsibility before deciding he deserves more of it.
Anthony Molina offers another potential multi-inning option. His improved fastball characteristics since arriving from Colorado are encouraging, but that is a case for continued evaluation—not a reason to pencil him into next year’s rotation. Yunior Marte, Cesar Perdomo, and Matt Wilkinson likewise deserve attention without being promoted in our imaginations faster than their limited major-league records justify.
And the pitchers still in the minors? Joe Whitman, listed with Triple-A Sacramento, deserves scrutiny as a nearer-term depth candidate. Jacob Bresnahan and Jackson Flora, currently listed with Double-A Richmond, belong on the longer development watch list (especially Flora who, besides joining me as a UCSB alum and the number one pick in the draft, has looked unhittable in the single A playoffs). Those are assignments, not promises of Opening Day jobs.
The test should be command, secondary pitches, repeatable mechanics, recovery between appearances, and the ability to face a lineup again—not whether a prospect can produce one exciting inning for a September highlight reel. I would rather have a healthy, prepared young starter in June 2027 than a rushed cameo now followed by a winter of unanswered questions.
WHAT VITELLO AND THE COACHES SHOULD BE GRADED ON.
Tony Vitello inherited a difficult transition and has managed through an extraordinary injury pileup. That deserves context. It does not eliminate accountability.
There are constructive signs in how the young players are being used: Eldridge has received substantial playing time; Cox is getting a look at more than one position; Tidwell has been allowed a genuine starting audition; Harris has worked his way into greater bullpen responsibility. Those are actual opportunities, not merely a roster full of young names sitting beside the bat rack.
But the final grade depends on what the staff does with the information.
Hunter Mense and assistant hitting coach Oscar Bernard need individual plans. Cox’s contact and strike-zone judgment are not the same assignment as Eldridge’s two-strike approach. “Be aggressive” cannot be the entire syllabus. Mense’s reported message about embracing the current roster is sensible; the next step must be specific, measurable improvement.
Pitching coach Justin Meccage, assistant Christian Wonders, and director of Major League pitching Frank Anderson face the most consequential development work. They need clarity on Tidwell’s role, better strike efficiency from Roupp, and coordinated plans for the minor-league candidates. Coordination matters: a pitcher should not hear one developmental priority in Richmond, another in Sacramento, and a third when he reaches San Francisco.
That last point is a recommendation, not a claim that I have seen the club’s internal plans. We can observe opportunities and results; we cannot pretend to possess the private pitching manual.
Bench coach Jayce Tingler can help turn these final games into organized evaluations rather than random substitutions. Ron Washington’s infield work matters particularly for players moving between positions, while Alex Burg’s catching responsibilities become especially important with such an unsettled catching picture.
The sensible approach is to give a player enough consecutive opportunities to adjust, explain the assignment, and then assess the response. Pulling a rookie after every mistake teaches him that mistakes are frightening. It does not necessarily teach him how to stop making them.
And development does not mean running tired arms into the ground. A contender’s lineup is a useful examination. It is not permission to ignore workload limits.
THE INJURED VETERANS: WHO MATTERS MOST FOR 2027?
We used to call it the DL. Baseball now calls it the IL. This year, the Giants could have called it the alternative clubhouse.
Here is my ranking of the established injured players’ likely importance to next season, subject to healthy recoveries—not a medical prediction.
1. Logan Webb. The season-ending problem is a right-middle-finger blister, not a reported structural arm injury. That distinction matters enormously. Of the veterans currently sidelined, he offers the clearest case for dependable 2027 value. A rotation full of auditions needs an anchor, and protecting Webb now is much more sensible than asking him to prove his toughness in a lost season.
2. Rafael Devers. Thirty-seven home runs, 98 RBIs, and an .865 OPS while dealing with a core injury tell us what the healthy version might mean. He underwent core muscle surgery September 15, with a reported recovery timeline of three months. That is encouraging for 2027, though recovery is never a contractual guarantee. Paired with Eldridge, he gives the offense a legitimate center of gravity.
3. Matt Chapman. His August 11 bilateral core muscle surgery ended his season. A healthy Chapman restores more than a bat: he restores third-base defense, structure to the infield, and an experienced example for the younger players. The Giants should plan around his return while making sure the depth behind him is real.
4. Willy Adames. His moderate left-elbow sprain was treated with a PRP injection August 27. The published minimum recovery period was four weeks, with a late-September or 2027 return possible. A healthy shortstop is essential to making a young pitching staff look competent. But minimum recovery time is not the same thing as game readiness. There is no prize for rushing this one.
After that, the questions get larger. Adrian Houser’s right-flexor strain makes him a conditional source of rotation stability, not bankable innings. Harrison Bader’s plantar fasciitis and subsequent foot setback complicate his outlook: so much of his value depends on moving well. His presence in the organization does not mean the Giants should stop finding out what Cox and Gilbert can do.
Among the other injured arms, José Buttó, Keaton Winn, and Sam Hentges could improve the depth if healthy. Randy Rodríguez’s return from Tommy John surgery could be particularly important to the bullpen. But “expected back” and “ready to handle a full major-league workload” are two different statements.
Most important, do not quietly count all the injured young starters as next April’s reinforcements. Hayden Birdsong is recovering from March Tommy John surgery. Trevor McDonald’s August procedure puts his published return window in late 2027 or 2028. Carson Whisenhunt underwent Tommy John surgery September 16 and is listed for 2028.
That last name is a hard stop. Whisenhunt should not be part of a realistic 2027 rotation projection. Optimism is welcome. Calendar denial is not.
SIX GAMES, WITH SOMETHING STILL TO PROVE.
My provisional 2027 picture starts with Webb and Roupp on the mound; Devers, Eldridge, Chapman, Adames, and Lee providing the established lineup framework if healthy; and genuine opportunities for Cox, Gilbert, Mayer, Schmitt, and the better young arms.
It also leaves obvious work for Buster Posey: rotation insurance, a credible catching arrangement, and enough healthy depth that the next injury does not require another emergency introduction.
The Twins may arrive fighting for the last flicker of October hope. LA may arrive with their usual annoying swagger fighting for a smoother October road. The Giants should arrive fighting for something less glamorous but no less necessary: evidence that next year can be better.
Not another promise. Evidence.
See you at Oracle. Bring a jacket, bring some patience, and save a little extra enthusiasm for any development that makes the Dodgers’ weekend less pleasant.
Let the torture commence.
Here are the games available:
MON: 9/21: 6:45 Twins [4]
TUES: 9/22: 6:45 Twins [3 – I’m going and need company]
WED: 9/23: 12:45 Twins [4]
FRI: 8/28: 7:15 LA [2 – I’m going and looking for Company] FAN APPRECIATION
THE PROTOCOL: the firm has four seats in Section 118 (Premium Lower Boxes), Rows 25 and 26. These are awesome seats directly below the press box and 25 rows behind home plate on the left side behind the screen. It is foul ball territory for left-handed batters so bring your glove – I have collected 19 foul balls myself over 24 years and am looking for more. If we don’t use all the tickets ourselves (or clients and friends of the firm don't claim them by calling me and reserving a game), then my next step is to give the tickets TO THE FIRST PERSON WHO GETS BACK TO ME PROVIDED THAT THEY ARE SERIOUS. If you ask for the tickets and don't use them, you will be taken off the list unless there is a good reason. There will be a wait list.
When there are four seats available (we split up a lot of games) we will allocate the tickets two and two if the first people back just want two tickets. You can also go for four and might get them. I'm the Czar, my call.
Oh, and BTW, here are pictures of the original Hinman & Carmichael brick from 2000 (26 years ago) and H&C’s Gotham Club Founders Bat! If you are on the patio, or in the Club, look for the symbols of baseball!
Ciao (for 2026 anyway) and GO GIANTS!
The Czar
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THE PROTOCOL: The firm has four seats in Section 118 (Premium Lower Boxes), Rows 25 and 26. These are awesome seats directly below the press box and 25 rows behind the home plate on the left side behind the screen. It is foul ball territory for left-handed batters, so bring your glove – I have collected 22 foul balls myself over 23 years and am looking for more. If we don’t use all the tickets ourselves (or clients and friends of the firm don't claim them by calling me and reserving a game), then my next step is to give the tickets TO THE FIRST PERSON WHO GETS BACK TO ME PROVIDED THAT THEY ARE SERIOUS. If you ask for the tickets and don't use them, you will be taken off the list unless there is a seriously good reason. There will be a waitlist.
When there are four seats available (we split up a lot of games) we will allocate the tickets two and two if the first people back just want two tickets. You can also go for four and might get them. I'm the Czar, my call.
Oh, and BTW, The Czar found the original Hinman & Carmichael brick from 2000 (after looking for it every year since 2000) and found H&C’s Gotham Club Founders Bat! If you are on the patio or in the Club, look for the symbols of baseball!
