This story was excerpted from Maria Guardado's Giants Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
DENVER -- In a way, Randy Rodríguez has been tied to greatness since birth.
He was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on Sept. 5, 1999, when future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson was putting the finishing touches on his first of four consecutive Cy Young campaigns for the D-backs. Rodríguez’s maternal grandfather loved cheering on the Yankees, but he was also a big fan of the Big Unit, who ultimately became the inspiration for his grandson’s name.
Now a slender 6-foot right-hander for the Giants, Rodríguez hasn’t quite matched the 6-foot-10 Johnson in stature, but he’s still managed to reach new heights on the mound this year. The 25-year-old has emerged as perhaps the most dominant reliever in baseball, logging a minuscule 0.61 ERA over his first 28 appearances, the lowest mark in the Majors among pitchers who have thrown at least 20 innings this season.
Rodríguez has allowed only two earned runs over 29 1/3 innings in 2025 -- both of which came on a two-run homer by Xander Bogaerts at Petco Park on April 29 -- and entered Wednesday riding a 16 2/3-inning scoreless streak. With a four-seam fastball that averages 97.3 mph and a wipeout slider, he’s racked up 43 strikeouts and issued only three walks all season, making him an invaluable weapon in what has been the best bullpen in the Majors.
“I just see a fearlessness out of him that I don’t think I saw the last couple of years,” Giants pitching coach J.P. Martinez said. “He was good, but I think that’s kind of the new element of his game. He’s just not really scared at all to attack the zone, to attack the best hitters in the lineup and to be in there in those big situations.”
While Rodríguez profiles as a future closer (he recorded his first career save against the Padres last week), the Giants currently have another ace reliever, Camilo Doval, holding down the ninth, which has allowed them to use Rodríguez as their go-to fireman. Rodríguez has certainly shown he can thrive in those high-leverage situations, as he’s already accumulated 1.4 fWAR, which ranks second behind San Diego closer Robert Suarez (1.7) among Major League relievers this season.
Rodríguez's breakout campaign should make him a legitimate candidate for his first career All-Star nod, which would only further solidify his newfound status as one of the most electric arms in the league. It’s been a remarkable rise that not even Rodríguez really saw coming.
“I didn’t always dream of playing in the big leagues,” Rodríguez said in Spanish. “I didn’t even know it was possible. I just wanted to play.”
Signed for $50,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2017, Rodríguez was added to the Giants’ 40-man roster after he posted a 1.74 ERA over 32 relief appearances for Single-A San Jose in 2021. He spent the next two seasons gradually climbing the upper levels of the Giants’ system, but he had trouble harnessing his loud stuff and struggled mightily to throw strikes last spring, when he issued eight walks over four innings in four Cactus League appearances.
The Giants weren’t sure Rodríguez would be able to fill up the zone enough to develop into a big league option last season, but he shifted his mindset and looked like a different pitcher when he reported to Triple-A Sacramento, where he recorded a 1.69 ERA with 10 strikeouts and four walks over 10 2/3 innings before earning his first callup last May.
“I’m not really sure what I did to control that,” Rodríguez said. “In my mind, I just want to attack the strike zone. When I miss with a pitch, I want the next pitch to be in the strike zone. I think that makes it easier.”
Rodríguez pitched to a 4.30 ERA over 35 appearances during his rookie season for the Giants in 2024, but he’s taken it to a different level this season, mostly due to his ability to go after hitters with his devastating fastball-slider combination. His heater -- which touched a career-high 101.1 mph last week -- is uniquely tough because it has a lower release point with high spin that creates plenty of carry up in the zone.
“If he just throws it anywhere in the strike zone, he’s going to get guys out,” said left-hander Erik Miller, who serves as Rodríguez’s catch partner. “That’s how good his stuff is. It’s probably one of the more dominant runs from a reliever I’ve seen firsthand. Overall, I’m just really proud of him. I feel like a couple of years ago, he was maybe not in the best spot. As someone who has also struggled with strike-throwing, I can empathize a lot with how he’s felt mentally and physically about not being able to put the ball over the plate. It can definitely drain you mentally.
“To come from where he was a couple of years ago, where he would come in and sometimes it’d be pretty dicey, to now, where as soon as he comes into the game, you know that inning is going to be 1-2-3 -- it’s been pretty cool.”
While Rodríguez can be somewhat reserved, he’s known for his sweet disposition and thoughtfulness off the mound. Before day games in San Francisco, he’ll often stop by Philz Coffee and buy a drink for not only himself but also for four members of the Giants’ media relations staff. He recently invested in an insulated cooler, which not only keeps the coffee warm but also helps him carry all the orders to the ballpark.
“He’s the nicest guy of all time,” Miller said. “He’s super innocent. He’s got the braces, and he looks like he’s still like 16 years old, and then he comes out and just like blows you away.”
While Rodríguez downplayed his English skills, Miller said he’s “essentially fluent” and helps serve as a bridge between Doval and the rest of the Giants’ relievers out in the bullpen. Martinez described Rodríguez as “sneaky cerebral,” noting that he’s one of the few players who will consistently be spotted reading books in the clubhouse.
Rodríguez recently read a Spanish translation of Alexandre Dumas’ “The Count of Monte Cristo,” and he is currently working his way through “The Baltimore Boys,” the second book of the Marcus Goldman series, a trilogy of mystery and suspense novels by the Swiss author Joël Dicker.
“I don’t like any specific genres,” Rodríguez said. “If someone recommends a book to me, I’ll read it. I like to read stories.”
The best story of all, though, may be the one he’s currently scripting on the mound for the Giants.