How SF Giants' Adrian Houser turned velocity increase into career year

"Adrian Houser bounced from organization to organization during the 2024 season. He began the year with the Mets but was released in July. He made cameos with the Triple-A affiliates of the Cubs and Orioles. Between the majors and minors, Houser owned an ERA over six. It was under these circumstances that Houser opted to change his offseason routine. It was a change that paved the way for the best season of his career a season that led to the biggest contract of his career."

"I think the mechanics really helped everything get freed up and everything was moving a lot easier, said the 33-year-old Houser, who signed a two-year deal with a club option last week. Things were coming out a lot better. Overall, that's what it comes down to. Over the years, Houser turned down opportunities to train at PitchingWRX, a facility in his home state of Oklahoma. Following his abysmal 2024 season, Houser finally relented."

"One area where Houser stood to improve was velocity. In 2023, his average fastball velocity dipped from 93.9 mph to 92.5 mph. In 24, Houser's velocity was roughly the same. The pitching coaches at PitchingWRX suggested several mechanical tweaks to Houser during his first bullpen session at the facility. The change was immediate. At the beginning of the session, Houser's velocity sat around 92 mph. By the end, Houser was closer to 95 mph."

"My front leg was kind of low; I wasn't really raising it up to where it needed to be. Then, also, I got my hands away from my body a little bit to kind of let them work a little bit more freely. As we pieced that together throughout the offseason, we were able to get into a really good spot with everything coming out really good."

Adrian Houser moved between multiple organizations during the 2024 season, beginning with the Mets and later making Triple-A appearances with Cubs and Orioles affiliates, compiling an ERA over six across majors and minors. After that season, Houser changed his offseason routine and accepted training at PitchingWRX in Oklahoma. PitchingWRX coaches made mechanical adjustments that immediately raised his fastball from about 92 mph to roughly 95 mph in one bullpen session. Adjustments included improving backside drive, lifting the front leg, and distancing the hands. The mechanical changes contributed to career-best performance and led to a two-year contract with a club option.

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