SF GIANTS ACE HAS THE LOWEST ERA IN BASEBALL OF PITCHERS WITH 400+ INNINGS
It’s four weeks into the season but Logan Webb is on a roll for the San Francisco Giants. He didn’t throw a perfect game, but Webb’s performance was masterful. He kept the New York Mets in check as he tossed eight scoreless innings in his longest start of the year on Tuesday night. The Giants beat the Mets 5-1 to secure the series victory. The right-hander allowed only six hits while walking one and striking out four, managing to have a nice 2.33 ERA over a major league-high 38 2/3 innings in 2024. Webb even pushed his scoreless streak to a career-high 19 innings and as completed at least seven innings in each of his last four starts. In that span, he’s 3-0 with a 0.94 ERA with three earned runs over 29 innings.
According to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs, Dereck Rodriguez was the last Giants pitcher to accomplish the feat in 2018. Tim Lincecum had a longer suck streak with four in 2011. But Webb has put himself in exclusive company thanks to Tuesday night’s performance.
Logan Webb‘s ERA is the Lowest for Pitchers with 400+ IP
Since 2022, Webb’s 3.02 ERA is the lowest in baseball of pitchers with 400-plus innings pitched. He’s gone 40-26 in nearly 600 innings. Behind him are Zac Gallen (3.04), Gerrit Cole (3.05), Framber Valdez (3.10) and Sandy Alcántara (3.11). One thing that stands out the most with the four other pitchers is that three have won a Cy Young Award in the last three seasons while Webb was a finalist last year with Valdez finishing ninth in voting. What’s even more surprising is that Webb is the only pitcher of the five to not make an All-Star team.
Webb appears to have made a full recovery from an uneven spring (10.97 ERA) and an uncharacteristic start at Dodger Stadium on April 2 in which he abandoned his changeup and coughed up five earned runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. Webb did get 12 outs on the ground in each of his two previous starts and he’s been even better since.
What Most Impresees Bob Melvin of Webb
Manager Bob Melvin is happy with the consistent performance Webb has put up. What most impresses Melvin about his ace is that he appears to find ways to improve even after coming off a career-best season. Webb continues to establish the inside part of the plate to right-handers better than he ever has. He has improved his times to the plate and worked on his pickoff move.
“His slider is way better,” Melvin said of Webb. “It’s a true three-pitch mix now. That’s kind of when he’s at his best,” Melvin said. “It’s never really about strikeouts for him. It’s about early-count weak contact, and that’s what we saw basically from him. I’m just glad he’s on this team.”
The Giants will need plenty of starts from Webb like the ones he’s had recently. On Wednesday Blake Snell was scratched from his start against the Mets after landing on the 15-day injured list with a left adductor strain. Snell’s absence forced the club to have a bullpen game in their series finale against New York. The quick ramp-up affected Snell on the mound, who’s 0-3 with an 11.57 ERA in 11 2/3 innings in his first three starts.
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