Latest news with #debut
Forbes
a day ago
- Sport
- Forbes
San Francisco Giants Call Up Top Pitching Prospect Carson Whisenhunt
Carson Whisenhunt has not had the smoothest path to making his anticipated MLB debut tonight for the San Francisco Giants against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Through it all, the 24-year-old left-hander and the Giants have remained confident in his ability. That's despite being suspended for his junior year at East Carolina, sidelined with Covid-19, a lofty 5.17 earned run average in the minors in 2024 and giving up more hits than innings pitched this year at Triple-A Sacramento. 'We've been waiting for this for a little bit now,' Giants manager Bob Melvin told reporters Sunday. 'We thought maybe he'd be here last year, too. He's our top pitching prospect, I believe. There's a need for it. It'll be exciting to see him pitch.' SCOTTSDALE, AZ: Carson Whisenhunt of the San Francisco Giants pitches in a spring training Spring ... More Breakout game against the Texas Rangers at Scottsdale Stadium on March 15, 2025. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) Whisenhunt got a $1,866,220 signing bonus as the Giants' second-round pick in 2022, No. 66 overall. That was three picks behind current Milwaukee Brewers rookie sensation Jacob Misiorowski. Only 16 of the 65 players picked ahead of Whisenhunt have made it to MLB thus far. Whisenhunt admitted taking a performance-enhancing drug that he claims he did not know was on the NCAA's banned list. "Over the winter break, I took supplements I purchased at a nationwide nutrition store that resulted in a positive test," Whisenhunt said then. "Unfortunately, under NCAA rules I'm not allowed to participate in the 2022 college baseball season. I'm disappointed I won't be able to play this season and sincerely apologize to my teammates, coaches, family, friends and fans. 'I am grateful to ECU and my coaches for their confidence in me to continue to pursue my degree. I hope to return to the East Carolina baseball team for the 2023 season.' Instead, he started his pro career in the Giants' system. His progress was delayed a bit as he contracted Covid-19. Moving Up Whisenhunt turned heads in 2023, pitching well across three levels. In 16 starts overall, he had a 2.45 ERA, 83 strikeouts over 58 2/3 innings and allowed 37 hits. ATLANTA: Carson Whisenhunt of the San Francisco Giants throws a pitch in the seventh inning of the ... More 2025 All-Star Futures Game at Truist Park on July 12, 2025. (Photo by) He has continued to move up, though not with as much overwhelming success. In 2024, he had a lofty 5.42 ERA and 3-5 record at Sacramento – but did fan 135 over 104 innings. This year, he has an 8-5 mark and 4.15 ERA. The lefty is listed as San Francisco's top pitching prospect and No. 3 overall in the farm system by MLB Pipeline. He retired the only two men he faced in the recent 2025 All-Star Futures Game. He is one of many good young pitchers in the system, including Hayden Birdsong, Kyle Harrison and Reggie Crawford. Changing Up The changeup has always been Whisenhunt's best pitch. When thrown from the same motion and arm slot as his 93-mph fastball, he gets plenty of swing-and-miss along with weak ground balls. His third pitch is a mid-80s slider with good downward movement. Commanding all three pitches is important. He does not blow away batters with an elite fastball. In 273 2/3 innings as a pro, Whisenhunt has walked 108. That's an average of 3.6 per nine innings, too high to consistently succeed. He has cut it to 2.6 per nine this year. Whisenhunt believes he has progressed, yet understands there is still work to be done. 'The changeup is still very consistent with where it needs to be, and the sinker has been a lot better this year,' he told Brian Pitts of the Davie County Enterprise Record earlier this month. 'Last year I struggled a little bit finding the zone (with the sinker) and worked on some different stuff with it. But this year I am trying not to overthink it. 'The slider is a completely different pitch than what it was last year. Last year I started messing around with it, trying to get comfortable with a grip. Coming into the offseason before this year, it was: 'Hey, let's sit down and find a grip that is comfortable, work on getting in the zone and using it as a put-away if I need to.' 'I have tweaked the grip a couple times, and now I feel really confident in that pitch. I trust it with lefties and righties. It's honestly opened a lot of different avenues for me to not use the changeup as much and save it for later in counts. Same thing with the curveball. I can use (the slider) early or late in counts against righties or lefties if I need to and not have to use the changeup as much or the heater. It has worked really well because I have a bunch of different options now.' Pirates To Pirates There's a bit of odd synergy to Whisenhunt's debut as he will be facing the Pirates – the same nickname as his collegiate club. He will be the 22nd MLB player from the East Carolina program. NEW YORK: Chris Heston of the San Francisco Giants celebrates his no hitter with catcher Buster ... More Posey (now the Giants' general manager). It came against the New York Mets at Citi Field on June 9, 2015. (Photo by) Four of his college teammates have made an impact in the big leagues., most notably Alex Burleson of the St. Louis Cardinals. Others are Miami Marlins infielder Connor Norby and pitchers Gavin Williams of the Cleveland Indians and Zach Agnos of the Colorado Rockies. East Carolina alum Chris Heston made quite an impact with the Giants as a rookie in 2025, p[itching a no-hitter and compiling a 12-11 record. Where Whisenhunt Fits In He is taking the rotation spot of Landen Roupp, who went on the 15-day injured list last week with right elbow inflammation. Veterans Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and Justin Verlander along with fellow rookie lefty Kyle Harrison hold the other spots. SCOTTSDALE, AZ: Kyle Harrison of the San Francisco Giants pitches in a spring training game against ... More the Arizona Diamondbacks at Scottsdale Stadium on March 1, 2023. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) There is no secret the Giants are seeking to add another reliable starter and solid hitter as they try to secure a playoff spot. San Francisco, 54-52, is seven games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West, but only three games out in the race for a wild-card berth. Whisenhunt's performance tonight against the Pittsburgh Pirates should help the Giants decide what to do by the trading deadline this Thursday at 6 p.m. ET. It may even spark interest from another club willing to deal a battle-tested veteran to San Francisco. All eyes in many MLB organizations will be on the 6-3, 215-pound pitcher. Perhaps Giants manager Bob Melvin sees enough to believe Whisenhunt can remain when Roupp returns. That could shift the team's interest into dealing a pitcher for more offense. Or even trading a young pitcher or two for another rotation veteran. The San Francisco Giants obviously want Carson Whisenhunt to succeed tonight and in the future, preferably in the team's orange and black colors. It has been a bit of a hopscotch road to this point – with a few hops likely to pop up in the future.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Stats – Breaking down Barcelona debutant's performance against Vissel Kobe
Barcelona's summer signing, Roony Bardghji, announced himself in style during his debut against Vissel Kobe, scoring a well-taken goal in a 3-1 victory. The 19-year-old winger, brought in with plenty of expectation, played just 45 minutes but was one of the standout performers in what was a convincing display by the Catalans. Bardghji had 30 touches during his time on the pitch and completed 16 out of 19 passes, recording an impressive 84% accuracy. He managed three shots on goal, created one clear chance, and completed both of his dribble attempts, making him the most successful dribbler of the match. He also played two passes into the final third, made one clearance, recovered the ball once, and won two of his three ground duels. Influential against Vissel Kobe From the moment he stepped onto the field, the youngster looked confident and involved. Roony Bardghji made quite an impact. (Photo by) He had two early chances to get on the scoresheet, first with a powerful strike from outside the area that was blocked by a defender, and then with a close-range attempt following a smart pass from Marcus Rashford, but the finish narrowly missed. Still, Bardghji showed hunger and maturity by not letting the missed opportunities affect his rhythm. His goal, when it finally came, was the result of an intelligent and composed move. Rashford played a perfectly weighted ball behind the defence for Robert Lewandowski, who used his experience to square the ball to Bardghji at the edge of the box. With remarkable composure for someone his age, the Swedish winger calmly slotted the ball into the bottom-right corner. Beyond the goal, Bardghji's energy, vision, and confidence on the ball gave Barcelona fans a glimpse of what he could offer this season. For a 19-year-old making his first appearance, it was a performance full of promise, and if this is just the beginning, Bardghji may prove to be one of the club's smartest acquisitions in recent years.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Marcus Rashford makes Barcelona debut in Japan
Marcus Rashford made his debut for Barcelona in a 3-1 friendly victory against Vissel Kobe in Japan. The 27-year-old, on a season-long loan from Manchester United, was introduced at half-time and played until the 78th minute. During his first appearance for Hansi Flick's side, Rashford had an effort saved. Barcelona's goals were scored by Eric Garcia, Roony Bardghji, and academy player Pedro Fernandez. Spain star Lamine Yamal was presented with Barcelona's famous number 10 shirt before the match.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
📸 Marcus Rashford makes Barcelona debut
Marcus Rashford has made his debut for Barcelona, just a few days after joining the Catalan club. The former Manchester United man has become the first Englishman to play for the Blaugrana since Gary Lineker in the 1980s. Rashford was given his chance off the bench in Barça's opening pre-season clash with Japanese side Vissel Kobe. The Three Lions forward came on at half time with the game at 1-1. 📸 JOSEP LAGO - AFP or licensors
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Flyers' Matvei Michkov Compares First NHL Game to 'PlayStation'
Even for players like Philadelphia Flyers star Matvei Michkov, making your first NHL appearance can be a little frazzling.
