How a mechanical adjustment helped new Giant Houser rebound in '25

A year ago, Adrian Houser went back to the drawing board to try to prove that he could still pitch in the big leagues.

The veteran right-hander was released by the Mets after logging a 5.84 ERA over 23 appearances in 2024 and spent time pitching for the Cubs’ and Orioles’ Triple-A affiliates before hitting free agency that winter.

In need of a fresh start, Houser decided to start training at PitchingWRX, a facility in Oklahoma City that helped clean up his mechanics. It proved to be a major turning point for Houser, who went on to record a 3.31 ERA in 21 starts between the White Sox and Rays in ‘25 before landing a two-year, $22 million deal with the Giants on Friday.

“They kind of noticed right away at the beginning of the offseason that I wasn't really getting into my backside very well,” Houser said on a Monday Zoom call when asked to describe the changes he made. “My front leg was kind of low. I wasn't really raising it up to where it needed to be. I also got my hands away from my body a little bit to kind of let them work a little bit more freely. As we kind of pieced that together throughout the offseason, we were able to get into a really good spot. Everything was coming out really good. It just felt freed up and came out a lot easier.”

Houser signed a Minor League deal with the Rangers last offseason, but he quickly turned heads once he returned to the big leagues with the White Sox on May 20. He posted a 2.10 ERA over 11 starts in Chicago, a dominant stretch that put him in demand leading up to the 2025 Trade Deadline.

The Giants had interest in acquiring Houser back in July, but the 32-year-old ended up being shipped to Tampa, where he put up a 4.79 ERA with the Rays over his final 10 starts of the year. Even so, Houser continued to flash intriguing stuff on the mound, as he managed to increase his average sinker velocity from 92.5 mph in ‘24 to 94.4 mph in ‘25.

With several holes to fill in their rotation, the Giants identified Houser as an attractive free-agent target at the beginning of the offseason. They successfully brought him into the fold last week, adding another veteran arm to a rotation that currently features Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and Landen Roupp.

“I think it was just coming down to knowing that talent was here,” Houser said. “The front office and [president of baseball operations] Buster [Posey], they were pretty adamant and pretty consistent throughout the offseason, keeping in constant contact. I could just tell that they really wanted me. After sitting down and talking through it and everything, we felt like it was going to be a really good fit.”

Houser doesn’t miss a ton of bats, but he ranked in the 79th percentile with a 48.9% ground-ball rate in the Majors in 2025. He should benefit from playing alongside a talented Giants infield that includes five-time Gold Glove winner Matt Chapman and shortstop Willy Adames, his former Brewers teammate.

“I'm excited to get back with Willy,” Houser said. “You guys got to experience it last year. The guy comes ready every day. He wants to win. He shares that passion with everybody. I’m excited to be back in the clubhouse with him. And then I’m absolutely excited to get with those guys behind me and hopefully get them a lot of ground balls. I’m excited to work with [catcher] Patrick [Bailey]. It's going to be a fun, exciting year, for sure.”

The baseball industry tends to slow down around the holidays, but Giants general manager Zack Minasian said he isn’t planning to put his phone down anytime soon. San Francisco remains on the hunt for more rotation help and could also pursue upgrades at second base, the outfield and the bullpen.

“I'm not stepping back,” Minasian said. “I hope some of the front office can, but I love this stuff. I'm going to my brother [Angels GM] Perry [Minasian’s] house for the holidays. I don't think it's possible to step back. I’ve got another GM sleeping 15 feet away from me.”