SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Giants entered spring training with three Carsons in camp: Carson Whisenhunt, Carson Ragsdale and Carson Seymour. San Francisco reassigned Whisenhunt, its best pitching prospect, to minor-league camp on Thursday, and as of Sunday morning, the Carson count is down to zero.
The Giants announced prior to Sunday’s game against the San Diego Padres at Scottsdale Stadium that Ragsdale and Seymour, a pair of 26-year-old right-handers, have been optioned as San Francisco begins to stretch out other starting pitchers. Ragsdale and Seymour won’t begin their seasons in San Francisco,
“Both were very impressive,” said manager Bob Melvin. “These guys are both going to pitch in the big leagues, in my opinion.”
Seymour, acquired when the Giants traded Darin Ruf to the New York Mets, appeared in two games this spring, allowing two earned runs over four innings and striking out two batters. The right-hander spent all of last season with Triple-A Sacramento, posting a 4.82 ERA over 134 1/3 innings in the notoriously hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Per FanGraphs, Seymour is the Giants’ No. 6 prospect in their system.
“Another guy with a big arm and big stuff and a guy our organization really values highly,” Melvin said. “Seymour might be able to pitch in the rotation and/or the bullpen potentially, depending on what the need is.”
Ragsdale, who is San Francisco’s No. 11 prospect per FanGraphs, dealt with injuries in ‘22 and ‘23 but finally enjoyed a full healthy season this past year, owning a 4.18 ERA over 120 2/3 innings between Double-A Richmond and Triple-A Sacramento. The right-hander appeared in two Cactus League games, tossing 4 2/3 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts despite walking five batters.
“He walked some guys, but then he pitched out of it, which is good to see,” Melvin said. “He didn’t give up any runs, had guys on third and got big strikeouts when he needed to. … But it’s big stuff, it’s a power arm. It’s a young kid. There’s a lot to like.”