Rookie Keaton Winn Combines With Kyle Harrison to Make San Francisco Giants History

The San Francisco Giants now have two rookies who have struck out nine-plus batters this season in pitchers Keaton Winn and Kyle Harrison.

Right-handed pitcher Keaton Winn did a little more than post a quality start Sunday – he helped make team history in the process.

The San Francisco Giants rookie allowed three earned runs in 6.0 innings Sunday against the Colorado Rockies, all while racking up nine strikeouts in the win. In doing so, Winn joined left-hander Kyle Harrison in becoming the second Giants rookie to notch nine-plus strikeouts in a single game this season.

Harrison recorded his strikeout-heavy game back on Aug. 28 against the Cincinnati Reds.

According to MLB.com's Sarah Langs, the Giants have now had two different rookie pitchers post a nine-plus strikeout performance in the same season for the first time since 2003. That year, Jerome Williams and Jesse Foppert each accomplished the feat.

with Kyle Harrison on 8/28 and Keaton Winn tonight, the Giants have had 2 different rookie pitchers with a 9+ strikeout game this season

the last time the Giants had 2 diff rookie pitchers do that in a season was 2003: Jerome Williams and Jesse Foppert

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) September 11, 2023

Through seven appearances and three starts at the big league level, Winn is now 1-2 with a 3.55 ERA and 1.000 WHIP.

Winn is not nearly as hyped as Harrison, who is the No. 1 prospect in the Giants' farm system and the No. 20 overall prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline. Winn, meanwhile, has been pegged as San Francisco's No. 16 prospect five years removed from being the team's fifth-round draft pick out of Iowa Western Community College.

Harrison is 1-1 with a 4.87 ERA and 1.279 WHIP, three years after getting scooped up in the third round of the 2020 MLB Draft.

With two rookies heading up their rotation in mid-September, the Giants are 1.5 games out of an NL Wild Card spot. The 6-3 win over Colorado on Sunday bumped the team's record to 73-70, but a six-game losing streak to open the month put them in a tough spot down the stretch.

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