Giants' Carson Whisenhunt fixed his delivery after taking advice that wasn't meant for him

The left-hander's changeup and command improved after he applied a tip meant for teammate Adrian Houser

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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San Francisco Giants left-hander Carson Whisenhunt was struggling with inconsistency this spring as he competed for a bullpen spot, but a tip from pitching coach Jesse Chavez that was meant for another pitcher, Adrian Houser, ended up resonating with Whisenhunt. Whisenhunt realized he was also being "quad dominant" and getting out in front of his delivery too quickly, leaving his arm lagging behind. After making that adjustment, Whisenhunt had his best outing of the spring, throwing three scoreless innings with one hit and five strikeouts.

Why it matters

Whisenhunt is battling for a bullpen spot with the Giants, and his improved performance could put him back in the running after he had struggled earlier in spring training. The Giants' bullpen competition is wide open, and Whisenhunt's ability to make an in-game adjustment based on feedback intended for another player shows his adaptability and coachability.

The details

Pitching coach Jesse Chavez told fellow starter Adrian Houser that he was being "quad dominant" and getting out in front of his delivery too quickly. Whisenhunt realized he was doing the same thing, and after making that adjustment, he had a dominant three-inning outing against the Texas Rangers, allowing one hit and striking out five. Giants bench coach Jayce Tingler said it was Whisenhunt's "best stuff all camp."

  • On Saturday, Whisenhunt threw three scoreless innings against the Texas Rangers.

The players

Carson Whisenhunt

A San Francisco Giants left-hander who is competing for a bullpen spot this spring.

Jesse Chavez

The Giants' pitching coach who provided the feedback that helped Whisenhunt fix his delivery.

Adrian Houser

A Giants starting pitcher who Chavez originally gave the "quad dominant" feedback to, which Whisenhunt then applied to himself.

Jayce Tingler

The Giants' bench coach who praised Whisenhunt's improved performance.

Tony Vitello

The Giants' manager who was absent from the game Whisenhunt pitched in.

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What they’re saying

“I've been doing the same thing, kind of getting pushy off the mound. I was like, 'That's perfect.'”

— Carson Whisenhunt (San Francisco Chronicle)

“That's the best I've seen him all camp. The stuff's always been good. I thought he had command of all his pitches and he was on the attack — that's exactly what we want to see. He got a lot of swing-and-miss, got some soft contact … for him to put it together for three innings, I thought it was a big step forward.”

— Jayce Tingler, Giants bench coach (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

The Giants will continue to evaluate Whisenhunt's performance as he competes for a bullpen spot on the Opening Day roster.

The takeaway

Whisenhunt's ability to quickly apply feedback from his pitching coach and make an in-game adjustment shows his coachability and adaptability, which could give him an edge in the Giants' bullpen competition if he can build on this strong outing.