SAN FRANCISCO — Carson Whisenhunt, who was named PCL Pitcher of the Month in May, made an impressive debut in June by striking out a season-high 10 batters in his first start.
Despite some issues in the major league starting rotation, the Giants’ general manager Zach Minassian mentioned that a promotion for Whisenhunt, 25, isn’t on the horizon just yet.
“That’s not currently the case,” Minassian explained. “We’re letting him pitch and we’ll see where it leads. It’s a long season, and if he keeps it up, he’ll get his shot eventually.”
At least for now, this opportunity won’t come at the expense of the struggling veteran pitchers who were brought in on short-term contracts.
On Tuesday evening, Adrian Hauser made his 13th start of the season for the Giants, who had a tough record of 8-15 when either he or Tyler Mahle was pitching.
Hauser’s ERA of 5.49 ranks among the worst for starting pitchers with similar innings pitched (60 2/3). Meanwhile, Mahle, dealing with a hamstring strain, had been struggling too, marked by an ERA of 6.04 before his injury.
Whisenhunt, currently ranked as the Giants’ No. 11 prospect by MLB.com, boasts a record of 5-2 with a 3.66 ERA over 12 starts in Triple-A. Notably, he has excelled recently, with a 2.66 ERA in his last eight games since late April.
This marks his third stint at this level since his brief opportunity with the big team last summer, and both coach Tony Vitello and Minassian have acknowledged his development.
“The progress has been exceptional,” Vitello said. “If he continues to perform as he has, I think he’ll be next in line.”
Whisenhunt’s 72 strikeouts, averaging 10.13 K/9, are among the top in Triple-A. In previous seasons, he typically racked up strikeouts at a higher rate, but last year his numbers dropped significantly.
An encouraging sign is that he allowed just one walk in his latest outing and struck out 22 batters, the highest among minor league pitchers that day.
Last season, Whisenhunt started five games for San Francisco, during which he walked 12 batters over 23 1/3 innings and recorded a 5.06 ERA. This spring, he faced challenges again, struggling with control as he walked eight batters in 9 1/3 innings.
This year, however, it seems he’s found a better balance with his strikeout ability and command of his pitches, which is promising.
“He was outstanding,” Minassian remarked. “He had them swinging and missing. We’re really excited about how he’s doing.”
Still, it appears he’ll need to be patient for his chance to come.
