Kyle Harrison talks facing SF Giants, being traded twice in one year
MILWAUKEE - Kyle Harrison tried telling himself that old clichéd line.
It’s one thing to say it. It’s another thing to believe it. And Harrison’s first start against his former team - one where he matched his career-high of 12 strikeouts nearly a year after the Giants included him as part of a trade package for Rafael Devers - couldn’t be chalked up to just another regular game.
“It’s always gonna feel personal, right?” Harrison said after allowing one run over 5 1/3 innings as the Giants lost 8-3. “I grew up 40 minutes from that ballpark. I had a great time there and cherish my memories with them. Yeah, it feels good, but I got to do it in another five days, so you can’t get caught up in that. Just go out and compete. It was fun to toe the rubber against them, though.”
Harrison wouldn’t go so far as to say his latest outing as a Brewer was a revenge game, but he admitted that there was “that extra little bit of conviction behind those pitches.” Harrison also shared that Brewers manager Pat Murphy told him he was working too hard after the first inning, which allowed him to settle in.
When Harrison was asked where the extra conviction came from, the De La Salle product described it as excitement.
“I felt it during the game yesterday,” Harrison said. “Just excited to get out there, man. I don’t know. It’s like playing against your buddies. You want to beat them in a competitive game, right?”
The last year has been a whirlwind for Harrison, who was traded on June 15, 2025, to the Red Sox along with Jordan Hicks, James Tibbs III and Jose Bello. One moment, Harrison was warming up to face the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Sunday Night Baseball. The next, he was getting shipped across the country.
Harrison, who was once the top left-handed pitching prospect in baseball, was the clear headliner of Boston’s return package. His career with the Giants had been a mixed bag due in part to a shoulder ailment that hampered his rookie season, but there was clear upside if Harrison could regain his velocity.
Boston, however, had other plans.
The day before pitchers and catchers reported to spring training, the Red Sox traded Harrison to the Milwaukee Brewers. Harrison’s tenure with Boston lasted all of three late-season appearances.
“You use that as fuel. It sucked getting traded that day,” Harrison said, referring to being traded from the Giants. “I remember it and didn’t know what to expect. Then I was getting sent to Triple-A that same day, so it was like, ‘Hey, what’s really going on?’ My head was spinning for a little, but then you bring it back to everything else. It’s like, ‘Hey, I just got to worry about baseball, get better each and every day and keep grinding, because one day it’ll work, right?'”
Things are certainly working out for Harrison in Milwaukee, where the left-hander boasts a 1.57 ERA through his first 11 starts.
Harrison knew that joining the Brewers, an organization known for developing pitching, could be good for his career, citing how right-hander Quinn Priester took a step forward upon joining the organization. He described himself as “the same pitcher” dating back to his time with the Giants, but has made a series of minor tweaks that have allowed this breakout.
He moved to the first-base side of the rubber. He’s raised his arm slot. He added a “kick change” with the help of former teammate Hayden Birdsong. He simplified his arsenal, primarily relying on his heater and breaking ball. He’s more confident. Harrison also described pitching away from home as “honestly kind of freeing in a way.”
Could this breakout have happened in San Francisco? Harrison didn’t rule out the possibility.
“Honestly, it’s nothing crazy that I feel like I’m doing right now,” Harrison said. “It’s just something mentality-wise where I’m attacking the zone, just knowing where I’m missing. I think most of my time at SF, which was unfortunate, I was kind of banged up with the shoulder.
“Velocity-wise, everyone was asking me about velocity, and it was like, man, I’m trying to get there, I’m there, almost there. I’m feeling good one week, and then it was like the shoulder comes back. I think I easily could have got there, but it’s hard to look back on it, right? But I’m glad I’m just finally feeling healthy now. I think that’s the biggest thing.”
While the Brewers are headed for their eighth postseason appearance in the last nine seasons, Harrison’s old team is headed towards one of their worst seasons in franchise history.
The Giants, at 23-38, currently have the worst record in the National League following the Colorado Rockies’ win on Tuesday. They’re on pace for 101 losses, which would be the most in franchise history. And the cruel irony of their situation is that their rotation, which has the second-worst ERA (4.94) in the majors, could use someone exactly like Harrison.
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This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 10:24 PM.