Whisenhunt's velocity turning heads as lefty aims to prove himself

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Carson Whisenhunt knew the ball was coming out of his hand well, so he couldn’t help but glance up at the scoreboard to check his velocity during the Giants’ simulated game at Scottsdale Stadium.

“I was like, ‘I kind of want to see where I’m at,’” Whisenhunt said. “I was not expecting to see 97 [mph].”

Whisenhunt averaged 92.6 mph on his four-seam fastball in the Majors last year, but he turned heads by consistently hitting 96-97 mph while facing hitters on Thursday. The 25-year-old left-hander struck out three over two simulated innings -- all with his signature changeup -- and also showed off a new cutter/power slider that he’s excited about.

The Giants will need several young hurlers to take steps forward and raise the ceiling of the pitching staff this year. Whisenhunt certainly has the tools to be a prime breakout candidate, especially if he can sustain his uptick in velocity during the regular season.

“I’m feeling a lot better than I did last year,” said Whisenhunt, who logged a 5.01 ERA over five starts for the Giants in 2025. “I’m moving better, mechanics especially. Everything is just kind of flowing right now. I’m trying not to overdo it, but it came out hot today.”

Whisenhunt sat at 94-97 mph in the Minors in 2023, but his progress stalled after he suffered a season-ending left elbow injury in July of that season. He returned to the mound the following year, but he then dealt with a back strain that prevented him from reaching his top-end velocity in 2025.

“It kind of hindered [me] a little bit last year,” Whisenhunt said. “Going into the offseason, it was a main focus of like, ‘Hey, let’s get the back and everything moving how it was and get back to normal. We’ll see how everything progresses from there.’ I felt a lot better than I thought I was going to today, so I’m trying to keep it that way.”

The Giants don’t have any vacancies in their starting rotation right now, but Whisenhunt could put himself in the mix for a bullpen spot if he continues to impress this spring. Still, San Francisco could also prefer to keep him stretched out and have him waiting in the wings at Triple-A Sacramento to start the season.

Whisenhunt wasn’t the only Giants pitcher to light up the radar gun, as non-roster invitee Gregory Santos touched 100 mph while retiring all four batters he faced on Thursday.

“That was wild,” Whisenhunt said. “Already throwing 100. Good for him. It’s a good arm.”

Hentges being slowplayed

The Giants knew they’d have to wait until midseason to bring Jason Foley into their relief mix, but there’s a chance that their other notable bullpen addition -- Sam Hentges -- won’t be ready for Opening Day, either.

Hentges hasn’t pitched in the Majors since 2024 after undergoing surgeries on his left shoulder and right knee, and he’s still trying to shake off the rust this spring. The 29-year-old southpaw has been throwing 40-pitch bullpen sessions, but he has yet to progress to facing hitters and said he doesn’t have an exact timetable for his return.

“I don’t know how many bullpens they want me to throw,” Hentges said. “It’s just a longer build up because I haven’t thrown live and thrown hard and had the ability to bounce back in a good bit, over a year. It’s just kind of building that volume, being able to move and being able to recover. But I hope to get in some games in Spring Training.”

The Giants have several other lefty relievers in camp, including Erik Miller, Reiver Sanmartin, Matt Gage and non-roster invitee Juan Sánchez, so they can afford to stay patient with Hentges and give him more time to recover if needed.

Worth noting

• Heliot Ramos, Harrison Bader, Bryce Eldridge, Christian Koss and Casey Schmitt will be among the position players who will head to Peoria, Ariz., for the Giants’ Cactus League opener against the Mariners on Saturday. Right-hander Hayden Birdsong is expected to start the game for San Francisco.

• Left-hander Robbie Ray will get the ball for San Francisco’s spring home opener against the Cubs on Sunday at Scottsdale Stadium.

• The Giants announced Thursday that Dave Groeschner has been promoted to vice president of medical and performance. Groeschner is entering his 30th season with the Giants organization and has overseen the club’s Major League medical staff and the entire medical and performance departments since 2018.

“Gresch’s leadership and expertise for over three decades have been an integral part of this organization’s success,” president of baseball operations Buster Posey said in a statement. “I know firsthand the care and dedication that Gresch has for our players and organization. We look forward to his continued influence in this new role.”