Giants Baseball Insider

San Francisco Giants Starting Pitcher Poised To Make Team History This Year

A San Francisco Giants pitcher will likely make history with the team this season.
Kenneth Teape|
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.
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

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San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants improved to 3-1 on Monday night, defeating the Houston Astros 7-2 on the road in their series opener.

It was a big night for Giants starting pitcher Jordan Hicks, who hails from Houston and got to pitch in his hometown.

"I've never even thrown out of the bullpen here, so it was really nice to have all of the family come out and for them to experience it," he said via Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. "I grew up coming here and it was special to be on the field where I used to watch all the old ballgames. It was a pretty special moment."

If he had any nerves heading into the outing, he didn’t show it, as he was excellent in his 2025 debut. He pitched six shutout innings, allowing only one hit and two walks while striking out six.

The biggest concern for Hicks as he continues to transition from a reliever to a starter is whether he can sustain that same level of performance throughout an entire season. He started strong last year, only to fade and get hurt as the campaign progressed.

The 28-year-old needs to learn to pace himself and not burn out too quickly, especially after flashing impressive velocities on Monday.

His fastball averaged 98 mph and 13 of his 72 pitches were clocked at 99 mph or higher -- three more than he had all of last year. He also hit triple digits on the radar gun for the first time with San Francisco.

According to Sarah Langs of MLB.com, Hicks threw three of the top-five fastest pitches recorded by a Giants starting pitcher in the pitch-tracking era (which dates back to 2008) on Monday night, missing Carlos Rodon's record by 0.2 mph.

Impressively, Hicks maintained his velocity for the entire outing, pumping 99 mph pitches into the strike zone into the sixth inning.

Time will tell if Hicks can keep it up. If he does, he has the potential to blossom into an elite starting pitcher this year.

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Kenneth Teape
KENNETH TEAPE

Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.

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