Carson Whisenhunt didn’t exactly cruise through Sunday, but the Giants may have gotten something more valuable than a clean line score: a glimpse of a starter who could matter down the road.
The left-hander gave up four runs over five innings and took the loss as San Francisco missed out on its first sweep of the season. He also allowed two home runs.
But the stuff was loud enough to turn heads anyway. Whisenhunt struck out seven, a career high, and piled up 18 whiffs, also a personal best.
The biggest weapon was the changeup. He used it to generate 15 whiffs on its own, passing Johnny Cueto’s 14 for the most by a Giant in a single game during the Statcast era, which dates back to 2015. In the second inning, Whisenhunt punched out the side and came one pitch away from an immaculate inning.
It wasn’t spotless, though, and the rough edges showed up early. A wild pitch in the first helped set up the Angels’ first run. Later, he left a solo homer to former Giant Jorge Soler right over the plate, then followed a five-pitch walk to Nolan Schanuel with a two-run shot by Jo Adell.
“Overall, it was good to see him back,” Vitello said. “Really looked sharp at the start of things as far as some of the pitches he threw to the first couple of hitters. Overall, a solid outing.”
That kind of night fits the larger picture for the Giants. Trevor McDonald’s injury makes it unlikely he pitches again this year, if not longer, and that opens the door for Whisenhunt to stay in the rotation the rest of the way.
He was already on track to get a bigger look after the Aug. 3 trade deadline, especially if the Giants move Robbie Ray and/or Tyler Mahle. McDonald’s setback just speeds up the timeline.
Whisenhunt, 25, hasn’t had much of a runway in the majors yet. Last season, he made three starts, went back to Triple-A Sacramento for about two weeks, then returned for two more outings before a back strain shut him down. This year, he made spot starts on June 17 and July 9 before being sent right back to Sacramento.
If he stays healthy, he could finish with 10 or 11 starts, which gives him a real chance to make his case for next year’s rotation. That group, as it stands, has several openings.
“His highs in spring training were very high,” Vitello said before Sunday’s game. “There were some things to work on with the lows.
Not the best start at Triple-A, but once he got into a rhythm, I think he was showing what he was capable of, which is pitching here. … Repetitions out here in-person against this type of competition is obviously most valuable, but it’ll be one more on top of others.”
Whisenhunt said the assignment is about more than just surviving each outing.
“Obviously, it’s a blessing, but it’s just trying to go out there and prove I can do it and prove to myself by putting in all the work,” Whisenhunt said. “So, just kind of keep going with it. Outings like today are frustrating, but at the same time, there’s positives in it too.”
The changeup has long been the pitch that gets the most attention, and for good reason. But if Whisenhunt is going to stick as a starter, the rest of the mix has to keep coming along.
His four-seam fastball has more ride than it did last year, even if he hasn’t been living in the mid-90s the way he did in spring training. His slider is also coming in more than 3 miles per hour harder.
“I’m just throwing [the slider] as hard as I can now instead of trying to place it as much as I was last year,” Whisenhunt said. “Last year, I got caught up in trying to find a shape or a velo instead of just gripping it and throwing it.”
The Giants’ rotation has been shaky enough to help push the team out of the playoff race, and the front office now has a clear job once the deadline passes: sort out which arms deserve a place on next year’s roster. Whisenhunt should get plenty of chances over the next two months to show he belongs in that mix, and maybe even in the 2027 rotation.
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