Why Carson Whisenhunt’s next two months will be worth watching for SF Giants

SAN FRANCISCO — Strictly from the perspective of run prevention, Carson Whisenhunt has had better outings than Sunday. He surrendered two homers and allowed four runs over five innings, taking the loss as the Giants failed to complete their first sweep of the season. Still, it was hard not to come away impressed.

Whisenhunt’s seven strikeouts were a career high, as were his 18 whiffs. In the second, he struck out the side and was one pitch away from an immaculate inning. He generated 15 whiffs with his superlative changeup alone, which eclipses Johnny Cueto (14) for the most by a Giant in a single game during the Statcast era (since 2015).

The lefty, to be clear, had his share of learning moments. His wild pitch in the first inning set the table for the Angels’ first run. The solo homer he allowed to former Giant Jorge Soler was right down the middle. The two-run homer he allowed to Jo Adell followed a five-pitch walk to Nolan Schanuel. But for a team in need of pitching, Whisenhunt showed flashes of being a member of this team’s rotation.

“Overall, it was good to see him back,” Vitello said. “Really looked sharp at the start of things as far as some of the pitches he threw to the first couple of hitters. Overall, a solid outing.”

With fellow rookie starter Trevor McDonald unlikely to pitch again this year (if not longer), there’s a strong possibility that Whisenhunt remains in the rotation for the rest of this season. Whisenhunt was likely going to join the rotation after the Aug. 3 trade deadline, assuming the Giants trade Robbie Ray and/or Tyler Mahle, but McDonald’s injury expedited the process.

Whisenhunt, 25, has yet to receive an extended run in the majors. Last season, he made the first three starts of his career, was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento for about two weeks, then made two more outings before a back strain ended his season. Before Sunday, Whisenhunt made two spot starts on June 17 and July 9 before being optioned right back down to Sacramento.

Assuming he stays healthy, Whisenhunt could make 10 or 11 starts by the end of the season. That’s plenty of opportunity to audition for a spot in next year’s rotation, which currently projects to have several open spots.

“His highs in spring training were very high,” Vitello said before Sunday’s game. “There were some things to work on with the lows. Not the best start at Triple-A, but once he got into a rhythm, I think he was showing what he was capable of, which is pitching here. … Repetitions out here in-person against this type of competition is obviously most valuable, but it’ll be one more on top of others.”

“Obviously, it’s a blessing, but it’s just trying to go out there and prove I can do it and prove to myself by putting in all the work,” Whisenhunt said. “So, just kind of keep going with it. Outings like today are frustrating, but at the same time, there’s positives in it too.”

Whisenhunt’s changeup has long been lauded as a true 80-grade pitch, but the key to the lefty sticking as a starter will be refining the other pitches in his repertoire. He’s gotten more ride on his four-seam fastball compared to last year, even if he’s seldom touched the mid-90s as he did in spring training, and he’s throwing his slider more than 3 miles per hour harder.

“I’m just throwing [the slider] as hard as I can now instead of trying to place it as much as I was last year,” Whisenhunt said. “Last year, I got caught up in trying to find a shape or a velo instead of just gripping it and throwing it.”

The Giants’ subpar starting rotation is one of many reasons why this team won’t make the playoffs this season. Once the deadline comes and goes, the front office will need to evaluate which pitchers are worthy of a roster spot next season. Over the next two months, Whisenhunt should have his share of opportunities to prove himself worthy of a spot in the 2027 rotation.