3 biggest SF Giants surprises through the first 40 games of the season

3 biggest SF Giants surprises through the first 40 games of the season

3. Kyle Harrison

The Giants rotation has not been the strength that it needs to be. That unit has posted a 4.40 ERA so far in 2024, which is the 10th-worst mark in baseball. Perhaps, that number is skewed a bit by Daulton Jefferies and Blake Snell's rough outings, but the numbers are what they are.

They have good components like Logan Webb, Jordan Hicks, and Kyle Harrison. Since being selected in the third round of the 2020 draft, Harrison has been regarded as one of the best pitching prospects in baseball.

He reached Triple-A in 2023 and posted a 4.66 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 14.4 K/9, and a 2.19 SO/W ratio in 20 starts for Sacramento. Those are solid numbers, especially the strikeout rate, in a hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. The Giants committed to having him in the rotation this season and the question was whether he could stick without experiencing the slumps that often come with rookies.

That has not been the case at all. The left-handed hurler has registered a 3.60 ERA, 3.78 FIP, 8.0 K/9, and a 2.57 SO/W ratio through 10 starts. The Giants asked him to throw more in the strike zone even if it leads to misses in the middle of the plate. Harrison did have a few of those to start the year, but he has settled down lately.

There will be speed bumps along the way, but Harrison is starting to look like a pitcher who could help anchor the Giants rotation along with Logan Webb for years to come.