SF Giants Players Review 2026: Adrian Houser found success after losing his rotation spot

The SF Giants used 14 different starting pitchers in 2026. The group posted a 4.48 ERA, the seventh-worst mark in the major leagues. From the need to bolster that corps to the array of injuries that hit a few prospects – Trevor McDonald, Blade Tidwell, and Carson Whisenhunt are expected to miss the entire 2027 season – what next year's rotation is going to look like is still uncertain.

Adrian Houser, whom the Giants signed to a two-year, $22 million contract last December, is a candidate for one of the spots. After a poor start to his Giants tenure, Houser showed promise coming out of the bullpen as a bulk reliever. Like many Giants pitchers/players last season, he saw his year end prematurely. The 33-year-old posted a 4.02 ERA over 109 2/3 innings and went 4-7.

Houser used his demotion to get better

After a modest spring training – he posted a 3.46 ERA over three Cactus League starts – Houser made a good first impression in his Giants debut, giving up just one earned run over 5 1/3 innings against the Padres on April 1. As for his next five starts in April, they were rough. He finished his first month with a 7.12 ERA and a 0-3 record.

He did pitch better in May, even earning his first win in orange and black against the Dodgers on May 12. But his success was short-lived. Following his 14th start of the season – a rain-delayed game in which he allowed two runs in the first inning – the Giants decided to move him to a bullpen role, keeping McDonald in the rotation instead. Houser had posted a 5.73 ERA and 1.58 WHIP by the time the Giants decided to change his role. His struggles in the first inning, against left-handed hitters, and when facing the order for the third time were all reasons for his demotion.

Surprisingly enough, Houser benefited from that demotion. Over his final 12 outings of the season – 10 relief appearances and two starts – he posted a 1.44 ERA and 0.89 WHIP over 43 2/3 innings. His move to the bullpen didn't turn him into a one-inning reliever. Six times he threw at least four innings coming out of the bullpen and three times at least five. In one of his two starts after his demotion, he pitched six scoreless innings against the Houston Astros.

Houser mentioned later that his move to a relief role allowed him to hone in on his mechanics. He found out that his hands had been getting too close to his body, which affected his balance and front side. Addressing that issue helped him fix his command.

Still, as Houser mentioned after a game against the Tigers in which an opener was used in front of him, he prefers to start and wants to return to the rotation at some point. He did start against the Reds on August 25, but was constrained to leave the game in the second inning due to forearm tightness.

An MRI confirmed a strain, and the Giants placed him on the 60-day injured list, officially ending his first season in San Francisco. The silver lining was that Houser was expected to have a normal offseason and be a full-go for spring training next year.

Two major red flags emerged from Houser's first season with the Giants: lefties hit him very well and he doesn't strike out batters often. Left-handed hitters produced an .883 OPS against him and accounted for 12 of his 15 home runs allowed. As for his strikeout rate, it was at 16%, in the 7th percentile.

Houser is under contract for the 2027 season and has a club option for 2028. Thanks to his time in the bullpen, the Giants know they can use him in a variety of roles next season. They can start him, use an opener in front of him, or use him as a long-relief guy coming out of the bullpen.

Initially on the 60-day injured list, Houser is back on the 40-man roster after being reinstated on November 2 following the team's flurry of moves.

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