SF Giants pitcher from 2024 season to remain overseas in NPB for 2026 season

Spencer Howard pitched briefly for the SF Giants during the 2024 season. He moved to the NPB last year and will remain overseas after signing with the Yomiuri Giants, per Sports Hochi.

SF Giants pitcher from 2024 season to remain overseas in NPB for 2026 season

Howard pitched for the Rakuten Eagles in 2025, but was limited to just 73.1 innings due to injuries. He was quite effective, posting a 2.45 ERA with 57 strikeouts and 16 walks.

The right-handed hurler was originally a second-round pick in the 2017 draft by the Philadelphia Phillies out of Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo. He quickly emerged as one of the top prospects in baseball, ranking as high as No. 27 according to Baseball America before the 2021 season.

However, injuries derailed Howard’s career. He sustained shoulder injury in 2020, and was placed on the 60-day injured last in 2023 due to a lat strain.

In 2021, the Phillies shipped Howard to the Texas Rangers in a six-player deal. The Phillies acquire veteran pitchers Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy in the swap. 

Howard was traded again in 2023. This time, he was moved to the New York Yankees at the trade deadline. That proved to be a short-lived stay, as he was released at the end of August.

At the end of the 2023 season, the Giants signed the former top prospect to a minor league deal. Terms are not often provided for minor league signings, but this was either a multi-year deal or he was re-signed before reaching free agency heading into that offseason.

Howard received a camp invite for the Giants in 2024. He put up a spirited battle, but did not make the club out of spring training. Howard earned a mid-season promotion to the Giants, where he tallied a 5.63 ERA across 24 frames. He was designated for assignment, then shipped to the Cleveland Guardians.

The veteran pitcher only made a handful of appearances with Cleveland before clearing waivers and becoming a free agent. Oddly enough, Howard returned to the Giants organization on a minor league deal to finish out the 2024 season. Since then, he has found success in the NPB and is now under contract overseas through the 2026 season.