San Francisco Giants Star's Key to Success is Avoiding Another Velocity Drop

A San Francisco Giants starter is showcasing impressive velocity increase but needs to sustain it all season.

Mar 14, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Jordan Hicks against the Milwaukee Brewers during a spring training game at American Family Fields of Phoenix. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The strength of the San Francisco Giants team heading into the regular season is its pitching staff.

There are some questions about the offense, but if they can hit enough, they will surprise a lot of people because of how strong they look to be on the mound, especially in the starting rotation.

Having a legitimate ace in Logan Webb certainly helps, and there is a lot of proven talent behind him. Robbie Ray and Justin Verlander have both won Cy Young Awards, and the upside is present with Landen Roupp.

A true X-factor for the group is going to be Jordan Hicks.

Surpemely talented, he began his transition into being a starting pitcher in 2024. It was a decision many people were surprised by. Given his inability to stay healthy as a relief pitcher, there are legitimate concerns about whether he can handle the rigors of being a starting pitcher.

Last year, he couldn’t. He wore down as the campaign moved along, experiencing some diminished velocity and health.

After bulking up in the offseason, hoping that will help with his durability, Hicks is once again showcasing some incredible talent out of the gate.

In his season debut against his hometown Houston Astros, he fired six shutout innings, allowing only one hit and two walks with six strikeouts.

The most impressive part of the performance was how hard he was throwing the ball, as his velocity is on the rise for a second straight year.

Hicks touched triple digits, becoming only the third starting pitcher in Giants franchise history to throw a pitch 100 mph. He fired off two more that clocked in at 99.9 mph, as he now owns three of the top five hardest thrown pitches by a San Francisco starting pitcher since tracking began in 2008.

His average velocity of 98.7 mph in 2025 is the largest increase in baseball compared to 2024, up 3.4 mph from the 95.3 mph he averaged, as shared by Eno Sarris of The Athletic (subscription required).

A similar increase was shown early last year, but Hicks was unable to sustain that performance. Whether that will change in 2025 is the biggest question when it comes to him taking that next step.

“We saw this from Jordan Hicks last year, a big fastball early in the year that slowly dissipated throughout the season. This is exciting, but there’s always that question about his ability to keep his number that high,” Sarris wrote.

There is no denying the talent that he possesses. If he can stay healthy, the Giants could have a rotation capable of going toe-to-toe with anyone in baseball.