Giants Top Prospect Has One of ‘Most Interesting Pitches in Triple-A’

The San Francisco Giants have received incredible production from several players that has helped them get off to such an incredible start in the 2025 MLB season.

If they are going to maintain this level of performance, their young pitchers are going to have to continue throwing effectively.

Landen Roupp, who won the No. 5 spot in the rotation during spring training, has had some hiccups but also a few bright spots. He has a 4.11 ERA and 3.74 FIP through 46 innings. Not out of this world, but solid enough to hold down a backend spot.

Hayden Birdsong, who started the season as a relief pitcher and performed well, is being called upon to take the spot of Jordan Hicks in the starting rotation.

If Birdsong can carry over the same impact he had out of the bullpen, it will be a massive upgrade for the Giants.

Don’t forget about Kyle Harrison, the former top prospect who shockingly lost out to Roupp for the No. 5 spot despite holding it in 2024. He is back on the Major League roster but has been used as a relief pitcher. That could that change with Justin Verlander heading to the injured list for a little while.

Those three are going to be vital to San Francisco’s success not only in 2025 but for years to come.

Another young pitching prospect to keep an eye on is Carson Whisenhunt, who possesses one of the nastiest offerings in Triple-A.

The No. 2 prospect in the organization, behind slugging first baseman Bryce Eldridge, has been relying on an incredible changeup to make his way through the team’s minor league system.

“Whisenhunt’s changeup has been his gravy train to notable Draft and pro prospect status, and that hasn’t stopped with Sacramento. He’s thrown 275 through nine starts, second-most among Triple-A hurlers,” wrote Sam Dykstra of MLB.com.

Changeups were the talk of spring training for the Giants, with veteran Robbie Ray deploying a new one he learned from 2024 American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers.

While Whisenhunt’s changeup may not be on par with the Cy Young award winner’s yet, it is a highly regarded offering because of the differential in velocity and movement generated.

“His sinker has averaged 92.7 mph and the changeup 80.1 ... it’s that difference that makes it worthy of a plus-plus grade. It also gets plenty of armside run (15.9 inches) and decent drop (40.3), and while the usage is still heavier toward righties, lefties don’t have a hit off Whisenhunt’s changeup yet,” Dykstra added.

Possessing a weapon that is as effective against right-handed batters as left-handed is what will help Whisenhunt on his path to becoming a Major Leaguer.

His performance has been excellent thus far in 2025 with a 3.00 ERA across 51 innings with 52 strikeouts and only seven walks.

Should the need arise for another starting pitcher in the Big Leagues, he could very well be next in line.

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