12. Carson Whisenhunt LHP. DOB: 10/20/2000. 6' 3", 214 lbs. 40-man roster, 3 Options.
2025(AAA): 9-5, 4.43, 107.2 IP, 7.94 K/9, 2.93 BB/9, 1.40 GB/FB.
2025(MLB): 2-1, 5.01, 23.1 IP, 6.17 K/9, 4.63 BB/9, 1.07 GB/FB.
The Whiz is basically a 2-pitch pitcher. He has a sinking fastball that averaged 92.6 MPH and a changeup that has been rated as a 70 on the scouting scale. He threw a slider just 14% of the time in his small MLB sample. During his MLB stint I saw some really good pitches but he battled inconsistency. It's hard to set up the changeup if you don't command the fastball and he needs to throw the slider more, especially to lefty batters. I would think he starts out 2026 in AAA Sacramento to work on those items.
Regarding the changeup, the best changeup I ever saw was Noah Lowry's. I might have seen one or two of Whisenhunt's changeups that compare favorably to Lowry's but again, most of them didn't and he needs to find more consistency.
It was a shame about Lowry’s arm trouble. He was getting very good.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, the Cardinals’ haul for Donovan wasn’t impressive. I wonder what they demanded from the Giants.
Wow, did you see what St Louis got for Donovan?
ReplyDeletePer MLB.com:
Mariners gave up two recent first-round picks, a recent second-rounder and a Competitive Balance Round B selection for 2026 (No. 68 overall).
The cost underscored how badly they wanted Donovan to round out what they believe will be one of the most complete rosters in the American League.
Ha! Two comments re. Donovan. One raves about the Cardinals haul and one saying it's not impressive. As Vin Scully would say, "go figure!"
ReplyDeleteI was curious about the differences between changeups and split fingered fastballs so I asked Chat:
ReplyDeleteWhat the Data and Trends Suggest
• Analysts note that traditional changeups have declined in usage, partly because the “splitter revolution” offers pitchers a more violent late drop that hitters struggle to track.
• Both pitches disrupt timing, but splitters tend to miss more bats, while changeups excel at neutralizing opposite‑hand hitters and inducing weak contact.
• Circle changeups remain extremely effective for pitchers with natural arm‑side run, while splitters shine for pitchers who want a vertical‑action off‑speed pitch without relying on pronation.
Apparently a changeup is easier to learn and throw well. I do hope that Carson does well. We still have 2 of them left in the system on the 40 man.
Excellent points regarding split-change vs circle change. I could be wrong but I think Whiz's change is more of a circle change like Lowry's than a split like Tim Lincecum's.
DeleteTotally opposite ends of the spectrum! In any case, the Giants brain trust knows more about baseball and baseball players than the casual fan does or thinks they know. If the trade didn’t happen it’s because one or both sides didn’t believe it was in the best interests of the team. Kruk was on the KNBR morning show and mentioned, among other things, that Arraez was signed to just a one year contract so the Giants could see what kind of improvement he could make defensively and that he could always be signed to an extension if things work out. He also blasted Arraez’s naysayers who lean only on advanced stats, countering that the results on the field are what matters. And interestingly he brought up Nico Hoerner as a possible free agent target next year as well as the possibility that the Giants long term second baseman might already be in their system.
ReplyDeleteGreat Noah Lowry reference! But for pure filth, we cannot forget Tim Lincecum's circle change that literally just "fell off the table" and had many elite, HOF-level batters completely flumoxed for years. I remember a montage (maybe it still exists on YouTube?) of great hitters committing a full swing at that pitch before it bounced in the dirt.
ReplyDeleteYour analysis of Whisenhunt is spot on: it doesn't matter how good any one pitch is if professional batters can just sit on it because you can't locate your other pitches. Continuing to develop that slider could unlock his potential significantly and help us as a team very soon.
I personally consider the split change and circle change to be two different pitches although the finger placements are somewhat similar. I felt like later in his career, Timmy became a 2-pitch pitcher and hitters learned to recognize the split change and lay off it.
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