Could a young SF Giants pitcher be a dark horse candidate to crack the rotation?

Young SF Giants starter Trevor McDonald completed three scoreless innings in his major league debut last season. What are the chances that he will crack the rotation in 2025?

Could a young SF Giants pitcher be a dark horse candidate to crack the rotation?

There is not much to glean from McDonald's lone outing in the majors. It was on the final day of the season in a game where the Giants were already far behind against the St. Louis Cardinals.

On the other hand, it was a very memorable debut for McDonald and his family. It also served as a reminder of what he can do on the mound.

The right-handed pitcher was an 11th-round pick by the Giants in 2019 out of George County High School in Mississippi. That is usually a round in which teams like to take a flyer on a potential overslot player. At that point, the slot values no longer apply but any signing bonus over $150,000 counts against the team's bonus pool. I believe in 2019, that amount was $125,000.

McDonald received a $800,000 signing bonus to sway him from his college commitment.

Since then, McDonald has gradually ascended the minor league ladder. This was due in part to his young age, the canceled 2020 season, and a series of injuries. The righty pitcher has generally posted solid results at every minor league stop despite facing off against older competition.

McDonald has been limited to just 309 innings as a pro. Logan Webb, also a high school draftee, had pretty low mileage on his arm when he reached the majors for a lot of the same reasons.

Overall, the 23-year-old pitcher has posted a 3.15 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 6.8 K/9, and a 2.57 SO/W rate across five minor league seasons. He has also posted a ground ball rate above 49 percent in every season as a pro so far.

The 2024 season was more of the same for McDonald. He was slowed by a groin injury but spent the bulk of his time in Triple-A. With the Sacramento River Cats, he posted a 4.72 ERA with 36 strikeouts and 14 walks across 47.2 frames.

McDonald's profile does not jump off of the page. He does not have premium velocity, an elite secondary pitch, or has rarely posted high strikeout totals. He has a starter's pitch mix with a low-90's sinker that has heavy sinking action and armside run. He pairs this with a slider, changeup, and a curveball.

The slider is his best secondary offering as it sweeps across the plate. The changeup and curveball both grade out as average pitches as well. He knows how to command his pitches and generally avoids mistakes in the middle of the zone.

McDonald thrives on keeping the ball on the ground and in the ballpark while mixing in passable strikeout rates with solid command. None of these traits are standout tools but he has performed well despite this.

Perhaps, he has been a bit overlooked due to the lack of a standout tool and a limited sample in the pros. However, there is a lot to like in his profile.

Kyle Harrison, Hayden Birdsong, and Landen Roupp will likely get the first opportunities to start among the younger pitchers. However, McDonald could pitch his way into the mix if he continues to stay on the mound and throw like he has as a pro.