These two top pitching prospects shouldn’t be ruled out from SF Giants’ rotation

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Don’t rule out Landen Roupp or Carson Whisenhunt from making a late run at the final spot in the San Francisco Giants’ rotation.

Roupp, a 26-year-old righty, and Whisenhunt, a 22-year-old left-hander, are considered two of the most advanced arms in the Giants’ farm system, but each has been slowed this spring by injuries that cut short their 2023 seasons.

Circumstances, manager Bob Melvin explained Thursday, have changed.

“I think because of what’s transpired, we probably move these guys along a little bit more so than we originally anticipated,” Melvin said from his office, sheltering from the first rain of the spring. “It’s exciting. These are two of the better arms and two of the most talented guys we have in the organization.”

With injuries to Tristan Beck (aneurysm) and Sean Hjelle (elbow sprain), and uncertainty surrounding Keaton Winn’s elbow, it’s also a necessity.

Not long after Melvin spoke, Roupp was slated to make his spring debut against the Dodgers before the game was rained out in the third inning. Whisenhunt may not be far behind. He faced live hitters on the backfields, typically the final step before appearing in a live game — something Melvin said at the outset of camp was unlikely would happen for either this spring.

Roupp’s unlikely rise from 12th-round draft pick to one of the top pitching prospects in the organization was stalled last June when a disc slipped in his lower back, ending his season after 10 starts — and a 1.74 ERA — at Double-A Richmond. Whisenhunt, the 66th overall selection in 2022, has rocketed through the system on the strength of his changeup, but made only six starts at Double-A last season — 58⅔ innings across all levels — before elbow pain prematurely ended his season.

“Those are some pretty exciting names,” Melvin said Thursday.

While each pitcher is considered fully healthy this spring — besides a comebacker off the finger that slowed Whisenhunt by a week — the plan entering camp was to slow-play their build-up to ensure they entered the season healthy and ready to debut when needed.

That time, it turns out, arrived before they broke camp.

Each will get the chance to pitch themselves into the picture, though they shouldn’t necessarily be considered front-runners.

“Probably (Spencer) Howard and Mason Black are the guys getting the longer looks,” Melvin said, referencing the two pitchers to receive Cactus League starts so far in the open rotation spots. “Mason Black’s going to get a real good look right now. … We’ll stretch (Daulton) Jefferies out, too. Those are probably the guys we’re looking at.”

Roupp’s signature pitch in his curveball, but what caught Melvin’s eye when scouring his stat line before camp was his strikeout-to-walk ratio, ringing up 208 batters in 146⅓ career innings while issuing only 47 bases on balls.

“He’s got a chance to be special,” Melvin said. “The movement, the velocity, the angle he throws from. There’s a real determined look in his face. Seems like he’s quite the competitor. You really don’t find those things out until you see guys in games.”

That wasn’t supposed to happen at all this spring.

“And now,” Melvin said, “it is.”