Carson Whisenhunt Shines Bright in Giants Spring Training Win Over Rangers

Carson Whisenhunt was desperately in need to a get-right game as he started for the San Francisco Giants on Saturday against the Texas Rangers.

Well, the right-hander got right in a big way.

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Facing a Rangers lineup filled with several players expected to be in the opening-day lineup, Whisenhunt dominated the lineup. He allowed one hit in three innings, striking out five hitters and trimming his stratospheric spring training ERA to 14.29. He also didn’t walk a batter.

Carson Whisenhunt This Spring

5 strikeouts over 3.0 IP for Carson Whisenhunt 👏 pic.twitter.com/HyMCmpOsek
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) March 7, 2026

He threw a tidy 35 pitches in three innings. He missed his four-seam fastball and his change-up well, throwing both a bit more than 30% of the time. He induced 17 swings, seven called strikes and five whiffs. His fastball topped out at 94.8 mph, 2.2 mph over his year-over-year average.

Those are all promising numbers for a pitcher that doesn’t have a place in the starting rotation but has value as a long reliever on opening day and a back-fill in the rotation due to injury.

Before Saturday, Whisenhunt was having an awful spring training. He pitched 2.2 innings in two games and allowed six hits, nine earned runs and five walks along with just three strikeouts. That included a single inning against Milwaukee on Feb. 25 in which he managed to give up five earned runs in one inning while allowing only one hit.

This start, along with the effectiveness of his two primary pitches, should give the Giants’ coaching staff a sigh of relief when it comes to trying to figure out the long relief roles.

Long-term, the Giants need Whisenhunt to become an answer in the starting rotation. He made his MLB debut last season due to injuries and he made five starts, as he went 2-1 with a 5.01 ERA. He struck out 16 and walked 12 in 23.1 innings. He would have gotten more starts but a lower back strain put him on the 15-day injured list on Aug. 31, and he never returned from a rehab assignment at Triple-A Sacramento.

The San Francisco Giants selected him in the second round of the 2022 MLB draft out of East Carolina University, the same school that produced Toronto Blue Jays rookie Trey Yesavage in 2024. He put himself on San Francisco’s radar in 2023 when he threw for three different affiliates and went 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 16 starts. He struck out 83 and walked 23 in 58.2 innings. He became a Top 30 prospect.

Since then, He’s had trouble keeping his minor league ERA below 4.00 while he’s allowed batters to hit .271 or better the last two seasons. That’s what made Saturday’s start so encouraging.