Top SF Giants lefty prospect among pair of pitchers to win Pitcher of the Week honors

The SF Giants got some strong pitching performances in the minors last week. Carson Whisenhunt and Niko Mazza won Pitcher of the Week honors in the Pacific Coast League and California League, respectively.

Top SF Giants lefty prospect among pair of pitchers to win Pitcher of the Week honors

For Whisenhunt, it was probably one of the easier weekly awards to decide. The lefty pitching prospect had one of the best starts of his pro career against the Salt Lake Bees last week. The Bees' lineup saw him for a second time later in the week, but it was more of the same.

In total, Whisenhunt completed 14 scoreless frames with 14 strikeouts against only one walk. The Giants wanted to see him improve his strike-throwing this season, and he has done just that. He has walked just seven batters in 51 frames for the Sacramento River Cats in 2025.

The 24-year-old pitcher also completed seven innings for the fourth straight start. He has a relatively low innings threshold, setting a career-high with 109.2 innings pitched last season. If Whisenhunt stays healthy, he should be able to surpass that mark with ease this season.

Another notable development has been the increased use and confidence in Whisenhunt's slider. He relied quite a bit on his sinker-changeup mix while coming through the minors, but the slider has added another look for opposing hitters. Interestingly, Whisenhunt has relied on his sinker and slider early in games lately, while mixing in the changeup later in the start. It does give his arsenal a little more horizontal movement.

On the other hand, Niko Mazza had just one start against the Stockton Ports last week. He tallied five scoreless innings with six strikeouts, zero walks, and only one hit allowed.

On the year, he has posted a 1.54 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 10.4 K/9, and a 2.08 SO/W rate across six starts with the San Jose Giants. San Jose's rotation features several college arms, including Mazza, who are all throwing the ball well.

Mazza along with Hunter Dryden and Greg Farone could be candidates for a promotion later this season. For now, the Giants have to be encouraged with how the pitching side of the 2024 draft class is performing.