Entering Saturday’s game in Los Angeles against the Dodgers tied at the top of the National League West, the San Francisco Giants have been one of Major League Baseball’s biggest surprises of 2025.
One of the reasons for San Francisco’s success so far this season has been the reemergence of closer Camilo Doval, who lost his role as closer after a 2024 where his ERA ballooned to 4.88 and his WHIP escalated to 1.576, both career-high numbers.
However, Doval came into 2025’s spring training focused on getting back into the mode he unlocked in 2023 when he was named as an All-Star on his way to a NL-leading 39 saves and 60 games finished.
The refocus and hard work paid off as Doval was slotted back into the closer role in late May and has been solid for San Francisco, posting a 1.69 ERA and 1.094 WHIP through his first 32 innings of the season.
While those numbers are solid, even more impressive is what the 27-year-old right-hander is doing away from Oracle Park in 2025.
With a career 3.29 road ERA in 115.0 innings, Doval has been almost untouchable this season away from San Francisco. In 16.2 road innings this season, Doval has allowed just six hits and one run, accounting for a 0.54 ERA.
Compare that to his 2.93 ERA in 15.1 innings at home this season and it’s clear that Doval has evolved into a consistent road weapon for Giants manager Bob Melvin.
“I don’t think too much bothers him,” Melvin said of road crowds earlier in the week when the Giants were at Coors Field to face the Colorado Rockies. “Look, he was an All-Star a couple of years ago and, for the first time, had to deal with some adversity last year. He came into camp a different guy this year and was all into whatever we needed him to do at the time, which wasn’t closing to start the season.”
Melvin believes that Doval has the DNA to be a high-leverage pitcher who can be the late-inning answer for the Giants moving forward.
“He’s kind of one of those guys who is born to be a closer,” Melvin said. “He has all the right attributes to be able to pitch late in games, where it’s home or on the road, and his numbers speak for themselves this year.”
All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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