Two Lefty Prospects Should Get An Audition for the Giants in 2026

While they may still be a year or two from the rotation, southpaws Carson Whisenhunt and Jacob Bresnahan will emerge as intriguing options by year's end

San Francisco Giants pitcher Carson Whisenhunt | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

While the Giants' pitching (as well as much of their hitting) has been up-and-down all season, the rotation has been a bit of a roller-coaster. It seems as if one terrific start is followed by two blowups, with the opposition's offense taking advantage of a three-game series. And while the 'Frisco Nine may have witnessed the emergence of Logan Webb as excellence in the face of apathy. However, there are already strong indications that he could be traded at or near the deadline this season.

So, the five names that will man those slots in the seasons ahead will likely be products of the team's player development. Enter Carson Whisenhunt and Jacob Bresnahan, two young, up-and-coming arms in the club's farm system. The bonus: They are both left-handed.

Since the beginning of baseball, southpaws have had a strange and special place in the game. They are a commodity, and both young lefties represent a luxury most teams don't have: two reliable portside pitchers in the rotation.

Fans have been waiting on Carson Whisenhunt

Giants pitcher Carson Whisenhunt in Spring Training | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

25-year-old Carson Whisenhunt has seemingly been considered a prospect for years at this point, givem is tenure with the organization since 2022. And, to be fair, there's been a bit of stigma around him since his junior season at East Carolina when the NCAA suspended him due to testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. So, a few things have hindered his development on the road to The Show.

He had a cup of coffee with the team last season, debuting with a 2-1 mark and 16 strikeouts, despite posting a 5.01 ERA. Still, he has the arm and array of pitches to be a big-league starter and potential innings eater in San Francisco, as noted by his official MLB.com scouting report.

"He's most effective when he can push his fastball to 94-96 mph and get more velocity separation from his cambio, but he usually works in the low 90s without notable life," the analysis states. "Both offerings got knocked around in his brief big league debut."

Bresnahan is a Baseball Bargain

Ball bags with the San Francisco Giants logo | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The team's current number 7 prospect, Jacob Bresnahan, joined the Giants in 24 after being drafted the year before by the Cleveland Guardians. A 13th-round pick, Bresnahan showed enough promise that they traded fellow hurler Alex Cobb for him after he had only thrown a handful of professional innings. Two years later, he's considered a future star at the big league level.

Bresnahan has shown plenty already, and he won't be 21 until later this month. At the same time, the Giants can afford to wait on him. Being the 398th overall pick, the Guardians paid him fifth-round money ($375,000). That makes him potentially one of the greatest returns on investment in recent memory if he becomes a star in Major League Baseball.

"His fastball sits at 91-94 mph and touches 96, fairly ordinary velocity, but it works as a plus pitch because it has huge induced vertical break and he creates a lot of extension," his MLB scouting report states. "Bresnahan scrapped a regular changeup for a mid-80s kick change that grades even better than his heater thanks to nasty depth. Single-A hitters couldn't stop swinging under his heater and over his cambio."

Thus far, Bresnahan has gone 1-2, with a 4.58 ERA this season, pitching at the High-A level. While he has a higher upside than Whisenhunt, he's not nearly as ready for the big leagues. But by 2028, San Francisco could have a pair of southpaw starters slotted in the rotation, both of whom could be major factors in the future of the franchise.