The Giants reportedly agreed to sign Adrian Houser on December 16, adding to a rotation that’s set at the top. Houser went from Minor Leaguer to valuable starter in 2025, one year after he had a difficult 2024 campaign with the New York Mets.
A Look at Houser
Adrian Houser had a very difficult 2024 season with the Mets. Houser, acquired by the Mets two winters ago along with Tyrone Taylor, posted a 5.84 ERA with New York (NL) two years ago. He began the year as a starter, then was moved to the bullpen, and was ultimately released in July.
Houser spent the beginning of 2025 with the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate. He wound up signing an MLB contract with the White Sox in May to eat innings — and Houser did more than that. The 32-year-old posted a sensational 2.01 ERA with the White Sox between May and late July.
That stretch earned him a ticket to Tampa Bay, as the Rays — then looking to stay in the playoff hunt — acquired him in July for Curtis Mead and two pitchers. Houser wound up striking out more batters (45 K over 56.1 IP) with Tampa but gave up seven home runs.
Houser finished the year with a 6.6 K/9 that ranked in the bottom 25 of the league (min. 100 IP) among starters, as well as a wOBA (.312) that ranked roughly middle of the pack out of 126.
The 2025 campaign brought beneficial changes for Houser. Traditionally, a high 3/4” pitcher, Houser dropped his arm angle a bit. His average arm angle was 37° last season, lower than the 40°-46° range he sat in for much of his career with the Brewers.
Additionally, Houser re-found the feel for his sinker. While he did concede three home runs off it in September, his sinker, on average, had more run and lower IVB (7.0” in 2025, 7.8” in 2024) on it.
Houser’s arsenal includes that aforementioned sinker that he used almost 50% of the time last season, at 45.9% last season. That pitch, as well as his four-seamer, sits in the mid-90s.
Aside from those pitches, Houser incorporates a slider, curveball, and changeup. His changeup, which optically works well off the sinker based on the movement profile, was his primary swing-and-miss pitch last season at 35.1%.
Houser also induced a fair amount of chases off the changeup, a 34.6% rate that ranked 72nd out of 177 pitchers who threw that pitch at least 90 times out of the zone last season.
Per ESPN, the Giants will give Adrian Houser a two-year deal worth $22MM. A club option for 2028 is also included.
Analysis
The Giants came into the offseason with one of the best 1/2 punches atop any rotation in the game right now with Logan Webb and Robbie Ray. However, a lot of questions are beyond those two.
Landen Roupp, Carson Whisenhunt, Trevor McDonald, and Hayden Birdsong were all among — and still are, at least for the back-end of the rotation — potential options to fill things out for new manager Tony Vitello. San Francisco addresses part of who will slot in with Houser.
Houser is a strong ground-ball pitcher (47.5% GB%). And, he does a terrific job when he has the feel for his stuff to limit well-hit contact (5.6% Barrel%). While he may not be a strong strikeout pitcher, he could do very well in San Francisco.
Especially, when taking into account that their infield includes two high-end defenders in Willy Adames and Matt Chapman on the left side of the infield.
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