1 SF Giants pitcher who earned a chance to make the starting rotation in 2025

The SF Giants starting rotation should be an area that the front office looks to upgrade this offseason. However, much of the improvement could come from internal options. One name that earned a chance to join that list is Landen Roupp.

1 SF Giants pitcher who earned a chance to make the starting rotation in 2025

Barring any changes, the Giants have a framework for a starting rotation in 2025. This group includes Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, Jordan Hicks, Kyle Harrison, and Hayden Birdsong. Of course, this assumes that the front office with Buster Posey now in charge still views Hicks as a starter.

That is no guarantee. For the time being, the veteran pitcher could act as a wild card who could throw out of the rotation, bullpen, or some combination of both. That last option seems like the likeliest outcome.

Nevertheless, the rotation that the team starts the year with is rarely the same one that finishes the season. The 2012 Giants might be one of the few recent exceptions to this rule.

Injuries and underperformance happen all the time, so teams need to be prepared. With either one of those scenarios, Landen Roupp could find his name in the rotation.

The rookie pitcher had a successful rookie campaign as he pitched to a 3.58 ERA, 3.43 FIP, 1.37 WHIP, 8.4 K/9, and a 1.81 SO/W rate across 50.1 frames. This includes a solid 47.2 percent ground ball rate and 0.36 HR/9.

The right-handed hurler worked primarily out of the rotation in the final month of the year and tallied a 3.04 ERA in six outings. I generally caution against September performances because expanded rosters can create some outlier performances. However, with expanded rosters being limited to just 28 players now, that may be less of an issue. Only time will tell.

Roupp has a solid sinker-curveball mix that keeps the ball in the yard and on the ground. The sinker, by design, is intended for weak contact as opposing hitters registered just a two-degree average launch angle against it. That leads to a lot of ground balls. On the other hand, the curveball had a 33.0 percent whiff rate. That pitch is used to miss bats.

The 26-year-old pitcher did show a chanegup that did have some functionality against left-handed hitters. Like Kyle Harrison and Hayden Birdsong, his ceiling will depend on how his control develops over the next couple of years. Roupp does have a quality pitch mix and has a feel for how to use it.

In addition to underperformance, one factor that could limit Roupp's impact in the rotation next season is workload. He only threw 76.2 innings split between the majors and minors in 2024. This was after he accumulated just 31 innings in the minors in 2023.

On a positive note, Roupp did throw 107.1 innings in his first full pro season in 2022. The key will be throwing strikes and sticking on the mound. The young pitcher finished the year on a positive note and there is a good chance that the Giants will lean on him next season as well.