In spring training the games may not matter that much, but seeing guys add some muscle or pick up some velocity on their fastball is always going to draw some attention. That is why Carson Whisenhunt’s velocity increase caught the eye of a lot of people in camp.

Several days ago, Whisenhunt threw a live batting practice session and his fastball was hitting 96-97 miles per hour on the radar gun. If he can sustain that velocity, it would be a huge development this season.

SF Giants have to love Carson Whisenhunt’s velocity increase

Last season with the Giants, Whisenhunt’s fastball velocity averaged 92.6 miles per hour. If he has truly found another gear with his fastball that could really force the Giants to consider the best way to utilize him going forward.

Part of why Whisenhunt’s velocity may have been lower last season is because he was starting games and was not maxing out on his fastball to ensure he could go deeper into games. In a live batting practice session he is going to be more willing to empty the tank and pitch as hard as he can.

Still, if he has that sort of velocity within him then the Giants have to seriously consider using him out of the bullpen at some point.

He’s the top pitching prospect in the organization and has been thought of as a starter throughout his minor league career, but with the bullpen wide open this season for the Giants he could certainly establish himself as a nasty southpaw.

Whisenhunt has added a new pitch and made some mechanical tweaks to ensure his signature pitch, his changeup, is more effective than it was last season. All these changes could make it hard for the Giants to keep him off the team if he impresses in his spring training outings.

At the same time, there is a case to be made that the Giants should have him start the year in the minors so he can remain stretched out as a starter and can be called up if the team has an injury to a member of the rotation.

The Giants are in a tough spot where there are several young pitchers who could either start or be bullpen arms, but they will need most of them to remain starters so they have depth in Triple-A.

Whisenhunt’s velocity is an important development and could change everything for the Giants if he can sustain it this season whether they choose to use him as a starter or reliever.