SF Giants will need to figure out what type of pitcher they want Adrian Houser to be in 2027

Presumably, the SF Giants plan on using Adrian Houser out of the starting rotation in 2027. In terms of pitch mix, they will need to figure out an approach that works.

The 2026 campaign was very much a mixed bag for Houser in his first year with San Francisco. He began the year in the rotation, then was moved to the bullpen, and returned to the rotation before finishing the year on the injured list.

The overall numbers were not bad. He pitched to a 4.02 ERA, 4.55 FIP, 1.30 WHIP, 6.2 K/9, and a 2.21 SO/W rate in 109.1 innings with the Giants. Despite that, it was not a consistent level of production.

The veteran pitcher struggled to a 5.73 ERA through his first 14 starts. When he moved to the bullpen, he posted in 2.08 ERA in his next eight appearances. Houser unofficially returned to the rotation after that, albeit in a bulk innings role. The Giants began using an opener to create a softer landing, and that proved to be effective.

For much of his career, Houser has thrown the kitchen sink at hitters. Organizations have returned to that approach in terms of pitching development in recent years. They have pitchers throw a diverse pitch mix, even if the pitches on the back end are not all that effective. It helps pitchers limit the usage of their go-to offerings to be able to pitch deeper into games.

SF Giants hurler Adrian Houser throws the kitchen sink, but it comes with a few wrinkles

That approach works only if pitchers can lead the kitchen sink with above-average pitches. That is not exactly the case with Houser. He relies primarily on a quality fastball-changeup mix. The Giants increased the usage of his four-seamer to 21.7 percent to pair with a sinker-changeup mix that has more downward movement.

The right-handed hurler also throws a curveball and slider, but both of those pitches continue to get hit hard. He relies on those pitches quite a bit against left-handed hitters, but those are not good offerings in opposite-sided matchups.

That is part of the problem with Houser’s pitch mix. He struggles against left-handed hitters and does not have much to neutralize that matchup. Opposing hitters posted an .884 OPS in those matchups this past season.

The Giants have a decision to make here. Do they continue with the kitchen-sink approach, hoping that it allows him to pitch a little deeper into games. The downside here is that he continues to rely on his breaking balls, which are not all that effective.

The other option is to scale down his pitch mix to maximize his effectiveness. The downside here is that he probably will not be able to pitch all that deep into games. Hitters are better the more they see a pitcher, and if he is only relying on two or three pitches, then he does not have enough to keep hitters guessing.

There is a third option. The Giants could add up his pitch mix by having him throw a cutter or splitter. The cutter would not help his issues against left-handed hitters, but it would give same-sided hitters a different look.

The question the Giants need to answer is whether they have him to try to be effective, albeit in a lower-volume role, or do they continue with the same approach, hoping for more innings and better results.

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