Hayden Birdsong DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

San Francisco Giants pitcher Hayden Birdsong (finger) will shift to the bullpen to begin the season. It was between Birdsong and Landen Koupp for the final spot in the starting rotation. Giants manager Bob Melvin confirmed on Monday that Koupp has won that final spot. Both pitchers are deserving of a spot on the Opening Day roster, so luckily they both made it. Birdsong will lose significant fantasy value with the move to the bullpen. He isn't going to offer much fantasy value unless he's picking up saves or possibly holds. It's also worth noting that Birdsong is dealing with a fingernail issue. However, Birdsong appears to be fine to pitch through the issue, so this doesn't sound like something that will land him on the injured list.

San Francisco Giants right-hander Hayden Birdsong (finger) said he's been dealing with an issue with his right middle fingernail. However, he had a fake nail put on his finger and said he should be OK to pitch to open the year as the team's No. 5 starter. The 23-year-old was able to beat out Landon Roupp for the final rotation spot this spring by allowing only one earned run while walking none and striking out 18 in 12 innings over four Cactus League outings (one start). The former sixth-round pick in 2022 out of Eastern Illinois University made his major-league debut in 2024 and went 5-6 with a 4.75 ERA (4.67 FIP), 1.39 WHIP and an 88:43 K:BB in 72 innings over 16 starts. Birdsong struggled with a 13.7 percent walk rate, but he also had an above-average strikeout rate (27.9%), making him a pitcher worth taking a chance on in the right matchups in DFS.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Hayden Birdsong has won the competition for the fifth spot in the rotation, according to Jon Heyman. While he wasn't viewed as the favorite coming into camp, it was impossible to ignore his performance this spring. He allowed only one earned run, six hits, and no walks in 12 innings while striking out 18. The strikeout upside didn't come as a surprise as he had an excellent 27.9% strikeout rate last season in 16 starts for the big-league club. His biggest issue was his control, with a 13.7% walk rate that ranked in the 1st percentile. He has seemingly fixed that problem in the small sample this spring, making him a high-upside arm if he can carry it over into the regular season.