When the San Francisco Giants signed Adrian Houser to a two-year, $22 million deal with a team option, the expectation was simple: Eat innings and stabilize the back end of the rotation. Through five starts, that hasn’t materialized.

In his latest start against the Miami Marlins, Houser turned in his roughest outing of the season. He lasted just four innings, surrendering 11 hits and eight earned runs while issuing one walk and recording three strikeouts.

The primary issue was the constant traffic on the basepaths. Opposing hitters consistently made contact, a trend that has surfaced throughout his starts this year. Houser has yet to allow fewer than five hits in any of his five outings, with the 11 hits in this game marking a season high.

While he has generally limited walks, the steady stream of contact, combined with two home runs allowed in this start, has made it difficult for him to escape innings cleanly and avoid big damage.

Across his first five starts, Houser owns a 7.36 ERA over 25 2/3 innings with a 1.79 WHIP, consistently struggling to limit baserunners and put hitters away. For a team that needed reliability, his outings have instead added strain to an already thin rotation.

The Giants’ rotation struggles aren’t limited to Houser, though his performance has been the most glaring. Logan Webb, typically the staff anchor, has also gotten off to a slow start, contributing to the team’s uneven pitching results early in the season.

Meanwhile, offseason addition Tyler Mahle has been inconsistent, though not to the same extent. Signed to a one-year deal, Mahle was always viewed as a short-term solution with upside, but also risk, given his injury history.

That volatility has shown, reinforcing the idea that both Mahle and Houser were more stopgap options than long-term answers.

Despite the inconsistency, there have been encouraging signs. Landen Roupp has arguably been the Giants’ most effective starter so far, posting a 2.28 ERA over 27 2/3 innings with 31 strikeouts and a WHIP just over 1.00. After an up-and-down 2025 season, Roupp has taken a clear step forward and provided much-needed stability.

Robbie Ray has also delivered strong results, holding a 2.86 ERA across five starts while consistently pitching into the middle innings. He has allowed fewer than three runs in each outing, giving the Giants a chance to win even if the offense hasn’t always backed him up.

While individual performances have varied, the broader issue remains: The Giants lack consistent, dependable depth in their rotation. Houser’s struggles, paired with Mahle’s uncertainty and Webb’s slow start, have made it difficult for the staff to find rhythm.

There is still time for course correction, but early returns suggest that San Francisco’s offseason pitching additions may not be enough to fully address their long-standing rotation concerns.

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