This story was excerpted from Maria Guardado¡¯s Giants Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

When Landen Roupp learned that Justin Verlander was signing with the Giants, the moment was impactful.

¡°I can¡¯t remember what I was doing at the time,¡± said the young right-hander. ¡°But I just stopped. And I was like, ¡®Wow, I¡¯m gonna get the opportunity to learn from a Hall of Famer.¡¯¡±

Verlander isn¡¯t a Hall of Famer yet, but it seems it¡¯ll only be a matter of time before he¡¯s being honored in Cooperstown. That¡¯ll have to wait, though, because the three-time Cy Young Award winner isn¡¯t done -- after signing a one-year deal with San Francisco, he said he wants to prove he¡¯s still got more in the tank.

While the Giants certainly hope Verlander, who turns 42 next month, excels on the mound in 2025, they also hope he¡¯ll become a resource to the youngsters on the pitching staff.

Roupp is one of them, and the learning process has been a major theme for him not just during his rookie campaign last year, but also this offseason. As one of eight players from the Giants to participate in the annual Rookie Career Development Program -- the others are Hayden Birdsong, Spencer Bivens, Mason Black, Jung Hoo Lee, Grant McCray, Carson Ragdale and Carson Seymour -- Roupp took advantage of the chance to absorb knowledge and wisdom about how to make a successful transition to the big leagues.

The four-day program is designed to help prepare young players for the many ways their lives may change after reaching the Majors, from working with the media to handling finances to sorting through competing demands for their time and tips on proper nutrition and other health-related topics.

For Roupp, the breakout sessions -- in which former and current Major League players shared advice with the next wave of young players -- were particularly helpful.

¡°Like I was saying to the guys today in our discussion group, just learning about all the resources we have was great,¡± said the 26-year-old. ¡°It was good to be able to listen to guys who played 20 years ago and how things were so different then than they are now.¡±

Roupp said that one of the most intriguing topics he learned about was blood tests and other ways of improving performance through nutrition. He heard about that not from a former player, but a current one -- D-backs star Corbin Carroll, who is heading into his third full MLB season.

Carroll wasn¡¯t the only active player involved. Paul Skenes, the flamethrowing phenom of the Pirates and the reigning National League Rookie of the Year, as well as three-time batting champion Luis Arraez, also spoke to the program participants.

As he heads into his first full Major League season, Roupp is looking to take a big step forward in 2025. Last season, he posted a 3.58 ERA over 50 1/3 innings (four starts, 19 relief appearances).

Now he¡¯s looking to crack the Opening Day starting rotation. While he sees his future as a starter, though, his relief experience in 2024 was big for him.

¡°One thing I didn¡¯t expect going into last year was being in the bullpen,¡± Roupp said. ¡°I had never been a reliever in my life up to that point, other than a couple of times in college. So that was new for me and I had to learn a new routine.¡±

Roupp said he¡¯s hoping to utilize his changeup more in the upcoming season, as well as introduce a cutter. In refining his repertoire, he¡¯s learning from the ace of San Francisco¡¯s staff.

¡°I talked with Webby [Logan Webb] in Spring Training last year about the changeup,¡± Roupp said. ¡°We kind of have the same arm slot and a similar arsenal. I kind of got his grip and started throwing it. But it didn¡¯t click for me until Boston.¡±

At Fenway Park on April 30, Roupp entered the game in the seventh inning. He threw 14 changeups over two frames against the Red Sox, inducing six swings. Every one of them was a whiff.

As he competes for a rotation spot in 2025, Roupp will strive to turn his education into results. He hopes to break camp as a starter, but his unexpected stint in the bullpen last year could serve him well. As will the many other learning experiences he¡¯ll have as a young player trying to establish himself in the Majors.

It¡¯s kind of like that changeup.

¡°There¡¯s still a lot to work on,¡± Roupp said. ¡°But it¡¯s definitely there.¡±