Whisenhunt shows off elite changeup in Spring Breakout start

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Giants got only a brief look at Carson Whisenhunt in big league camp this spring, as the 24-year-old left-hander made just two Cactus League appearances before being reassigned to Minor League camp on March 6.

But Whisenhunt returned to Scottsdale Stadium and stepped back into the spotlight on Saturday, as the Giants’ No. 2 prospect was tapped to start the club’s Spring Breakout matchup against the Rangers, a 5-5 tie.

Outfielder James Tibbs III (No. 4) and shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 5) were among San Francisco's other top farmhands who participated in the prospect showcase, but the pitching staff was headlined by Whisenhunt, who had a prime opportunity to show off his signature changeup, viewed as one of the best Spring Breakout tools this year.

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“It’s disgusting,” right-hander Spencer Bivens said. “I saw him when he first got drafted. That’s one of the best changeups I’ve ever seen. I played catch with him in the Fall League and a little bit in '23. He’s just got such good feel for it. I understand why it’s an 80-grade pitch.”

Whisenhunt’s changeup has been his calling card since he was selected by the Giants in the second round of the 2022 Draft, but he worked on expanding his arsenal after spending a full season at Triple-A Sacramento last year. The North Carolina native said he scrapped his curveball and began throwing a slider as his third pitch after Bivens showed him a grip he liked last year.

“I think it’ll help me out a lot because I can throw it in-zone and for a putaway, so I won’t lean on the changeup as much,” Whisenhunt said earlier this spring. “I can save it for later in games with the changeup and then kind of use the slider as a setup pitch or the back end of a count -- 0-2, 1-2 count -- instead of them sitting changeup or fastball. It’ll help out a lot, I think.

“It’s still a work in progress, but it’s a lot better now than it used to be. So I’m happy with where it’s at.”

Whisenhunt logged a 5.17 ERA over 27 starts in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League in 2024, but he recorded a 2.34 ERA over 14 home starts in Sacramento and still showed his swing-and-miss stuff by piling up 141 strikeouts over 109 2/3 innings. With a 92-94 mph fastball and an elite changeup, Whisenhunt has the tools to be a bullpen option for the Giants right now, but the organization remains committed to keeping him on the starter plan and helping him develop into a more complete pitcher this year.

Whisenhunt is expected to join fellow pitching prospects Carson Seymour (No. 20) and Carson Ragsdale (No. 21) in Sacramento's rotation to start the year and should be part of the next wave of young hurlers who could debut in San Francisco in 2025.

Whisenhunt certainly left a good impression after striking out two over three scoreless innings in his two Cactus League appearances for the Giants this spring.

“It was only two outings, but [he did] everything we were asking him to do,” manager Bob Melvin said. “First-pitch strikes, getting ahead. He’s moved over on the rubber a little bit to give a different look to the lefties as well. Righties have always been a little bit easier for him as a left-handed pitcher with the changeup. It’s about getting ahead, refining your third pitch, which is his slider, which he’s thrown here as well. It’s a very talented guy, for sure.”