Spencer Miles and Ryan Watson make their Opening Day rosters

FORT MYERS, FL - FEBRUARY 22: Spencer Miles #62 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches during the game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on Sunday, February 22, 2026 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Kathryn Skeean/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images Much has been made this preseason about Daniel Susac winning the backup catcher role for the San Francisco Giants. Susac, a northern California native whose older brother, Andrew, won a World Series as Buster Posey’s backup, entered camp as the presumptive favorite due to his Rule 5 status.

As a Rule 5 selection, Susac needs to stay on the active roster for the entirety of the year, and cannot be optioned. If the Giants wish to move him off the active roster for any reason other than an injury, he’ll be returned to the Athletics system. Susac did, indeed, win the job, beating out veteran Eric Haase and contact-maven prospect Jesús Rodríguez.

He’ll be the backup catcher for the foreseeable future, and the Giants will surely hope that he can hang onto the role all year, and stay in the system. But while Susac got the bulk of the attention, he wasn’t the only Rule 5 pick whose fate impacts the Giants. You might remember that San Francisco lost a pair of right-handed pitchers in the Major League portion of the December draft, Spencer Miles and Ryan Watson.

And both of those players made their respective teams’ Opening Day rosters, meaning they won’t be returned to the Giants … not yet, at least. With respect to Watson, Miles is the notable name of the pair, and was taken by the defending American League champion Toronto Blue Jays. A fourth-round pick in 2022 out of Missouri, talent has never been an issue for Miles … but health has.