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Hudson graduate Joe Whitman brings 'competitiveness on the mound' as Giants prospect
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- Hudson graduate Joe Whitman brings 'competitiveness on the mound' as Giants prospect
Richmond Flying Squirrels pitcher Joe Whitman has had his share of ups and downs in three seasons as a minor-league baseball player.
Whitman, a 2020 Hudson High School graduate , has a losing record and an ERA north of 4 since being drafted in the second round of the 2023 MLB Draft with the 69th overall pick by the San Francisco Giants .
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None of those statistics from the past mattered July 9 when Whitman led the Flying Squirrels to a 2-1 win over the Akron RubberDucks at Canal Park.
Whitman , a left-hander, pitched six innings and allowed four hits, including a solo home run to Kahlil Watson.
"I was able to command everything in the [strike] zone and did not walk guys," said Whitman, who struck out six Ducks and threw 48 strikes in a 70-pitch outing. "When you don't walk guys, it is a good recipe for success. ... With learning, time and more experience, being able to perform better is going to happen."
Richmond Flying Squirrels starting pitcher Joe Whitman fires a pitch to the plate against the Akron RubberDucks on July 9, 2025, in Akron, Ohio.
Whitman, who is 6-foot-4 and 209 pounds, improved to 3-7 and lowered his ERA to 5.15 in 16 starts this season. He has 78 strikeouts and allowed 73 hits and 29 walks in 71⅔ innings in 2025.
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"The best thing about Joe and what he brings to the table is some energy and some competitive fire," Richmond Flying Squirrels manager Dennis Pelfrey said. "I think that he goes out on a mission every single time out and it hasn't been great for him at times, but he also has shown flashes of being great, too.
"That's a big part of developing for any player. Him coming into this league, which is a really good league, he is going to have to take some of those lumps at times, but he doesn't shy away from it and he understands. He is always looking to get better every single day. The biggest thing about him that I love is his competitiveness on the mound."
Whitman throws a fastball, slider and splitter. He said his slider is his "bread-and-butter" pitch dating back to his college days. He entered 2025 as the 10th-ranked Giants prospect by Baseball America and No. 7 by MLB.com.
"Being able to command that in the zone, and then a little bit expanded and being able to get chase [from hitters] with it is a big piece for me," Whitman said.
Richmond Flying Squirrels starter Joe Whitman throws a pitch against the RubberDucks on July 9, 2025, in Akron, Ohio.
Pelfrey said Whitman followed the game plan against the RubberDucks.
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"We talked about it before the game, 'Stay away from the walks. Don't be afraid to attack guys. Don't try to be too fine with your stuff and use that bulldog mentality,' which he did," Pelfrey said. "He went right at guys, and I think that plays right into what he brings to the table. If he can do that and stay away from walks, he is going to help himself out more times than not."
Whitman lost his two other starts at Canal Park this season. He struck out five and allowed three earned runs, four hits and a walk over four innings in a 5-1 loss to the Ducks on April 22, and allowed four earned runs, three hits and two walks with four strikeouts in 2⅔ innings in a 16-7 loss to the Ducks on April 27.
Richmond Flying Squirrels left-hander Joe Whitman prepares to throw a pitch against the RubberDucks on July 9, 2025, in Akron, Ohio.
"It is awesome to be here," said Whitman, who was born in Akron. "Being able to see everybody in my family come out, my grandma [Judy], my parents [Dan and Gretchen] and friends from home, it is really cool to go out and perform in front of them and put smiles on their faces after the game."
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Whitman threw six perfect innings with 10 strikeouts in a 4-1 win over the visiting Somerset Patriots at The Diamond on May 3 and was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week on May 5.
Whitman pitched a seven-inning complete game with three strikeouts and one earned run, two walks and four hits allowed in a 3-1 win in Game 1 of a doubleheader against Erie on May 15. He struck out 11 and allowed two earned runs, two hits and four walks over five innings versus Binghamton on May 21 and worked seven scoreless innings with five strikeouts and a walk and four hits allowed on May 27 against Harrisburg.
Richmond Flying Squirrels starter Joe Whitman pitches against the RubberDucks on July 9, 2025, in Akron, Ohio.
Joe Whitman preps at Hudson and Kent State ahead of being San Francisco Giants prospect
Whitman, a Cleveland sports fan growing up, played varsity baseball at Hudson as a junior in 2019 for Explorers coach Buddy Dice before the 2020 season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also played basketball for former Hudson coach Jeff Brink.
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Whitman began his collegiate career at Purdue, his father's alma mater, in 2021 and 2022. He made 14 appearances in two years, and allowed eight earned runs in 5⅔ innings.
Whitman was the Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2023 during his only season at Kent State, his mother's PhD alma mater. He compiled a 9-2 record with a 2.56 ERA in 15 starts and had 100 strikeouts in 81 innings en route to being an All-America selection by multiple outlets.
Richmond Flying Squirrels pitcher Joe Whitman delivers against the RubberDucks on July 9, 2025, in Akron, Ohio.
"He is a big movie-guy like myself," Pelfrey said of Whitman. "We actually ran into each other at a couple of different movies this summer. A couple of big premieres. We went to see the new "Mission Impossible" with Tom Cruise. My seat was right next to him. Another player went with him. We showed up to the same theatre in Richmond. It was wild.
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"He is down-to-earth, low-key and a super nice kid. He is a little different switch on the mound. He is more of, like I said, that bulldog mentality on the mound. I think that is important for guys to have. In this game, we are entertainers. You get to have a different persona on the field that can handle a lot of the bad things."
Whitman made six appearances after being drafted in 2023 across two levels, starting with the Arizona Complex League Giants Black and finishing with Low-A San Jose. He went 1-0 with a 1.86 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 9⅔ innings.
Whitman split the 2024 season between Low-A San Jose and High-A Eugene, going 3-8 with a 4.63 ERA in 23 starts. He finished the year with 103 innings and ranked ninth in the Giants organization in strikeouts with 108.
"It has been cool getting to learn from all of the guys that have been here and just being able to go out there and give my team a good chance to win," Whitman said. "Winning is fun, and we want to keep winning."
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Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Joe Whitman of Richmond Flying Squirrels rises as Giants prospect
