SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- A year ago, Logan Webb wasn¡¯t even guaranteed a spot in the Giants¡¯ starting rotation. Now, the 25-year-old right-hander is projected to anchor a staff that will be looking to defend its National League West title after a franchise-record 107-win season in 2021.
Expectations will be higher for the Giants and Webb this spring, but the Rocklin, Calif., native is welcoming the challenge and looking forward to building off his breakthrough season last year, when he solidified his status as an emerging homegrown ace with a pair of dominant performances during the National League Division Series against the Dodgers.
¡°I think they kind of expect more out of me this year,¡± Webb said. ¡°I expect more out of me. I¡¯m excited for that. That¡¯s what you play for, to get better and better each year.¡±
Webb was among a handful of Giants who were spotted working out at Scottsdale Stadium on Saturday, one day before the club¡¯s official report date for Spring Training. Webb purchased a house down the street from the training facility two years ago, but he was unable to access the complex during the lockout, forcing him to shift most of his offseason work to Push Performance in Tempe.
Webb stuck to a throwing program to keep his arm in shape over the past three months, but he wasted little time in reaching out to Giants pitching coach Andrew Bailey once the lockout ended on Thursday. Shortly after MLB reached a new labor agreement with the MLBPA, Webb texted Bailey to share his new phone number and touch base. Bailey responded by instantly FaceTiming Webb, who was golfing with former Giants right-hander Trevor Cahill.
¡°I¡¯m just excited to see all my friends and see everybody and be here,¡± Webb said. ¡°It was tough not being able to talk to all of the coaches. I feel like, for me, I always talk to guys. I talk to [manager Gabe Kapler] after every bullpen or Bailey after every bullpen, and not being able to do that was tough, but thankfully we¡¯re back and excited for this new year.¡±
Kapler declined to name his Opening Day starter on Saturday, but Webb should be the obvious choice to take the mound against the Marlins at Oracle Park on April 8. Webb emerged as the Giants¡¯ best pitcher in the second half last year, logging a 2.40 ERA over his final 20 starts of the year before continuing to dominate in the NLDS. He held the Dodgers to one run and struck out 17 over 14 2/3 innings in his first two postseason starts, though it wasn¡¯t enough for the Giants, who ultimately fell to their archrivals in five games.
How does Webb feel about potentially starting on Opening Day?
¡°I don¡¯t really care too much,¡± Webb said. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal to me. I just want to come out here and help the team as much as I can. If it is that day, then it is that day. I¡¯m just excited. Knowing that I did what I did last year and trying to build off that is really cool for me. I don¡¯t feel like I really ever had a season like that where I could build off of it and kind of know where I might be the next year.¡±
Webb is heading into 2022 with more confidence than last spring, when he wasn¡¯t expected to make the Opening Day rotation after recording a 5.36 ERA over his first two seasons in the Majors. The Giants had five starters ahead of him -- Kevin Gausman, Johnny Cueto, Anthony DeSclafani, Alex Wood and Aaron Sanchez -- but Webb opened eyes with a brilliant spring and then earned a spot on the pitching staff when Wood was forced to miss the beginning of the regular season with a back injury.
Webb¡¯s standing is no longer in question. The Giants dedicated the bulk of their offseason to building a veteran pitching staff around their young star, re-signing DeSclafani and Wood while adding newcomers Alex Cobb and Carlos Rod¨®n, who reportedly agreed to a two-year, $44 million deal on Friday.
¡°I was here yesterday when the Rod¨®n news came out, so everybody here was kind of fired up about it,¡± Webb said. ¡°Obviously, Cobb is a stud, too.¡±
Webb has already begun his ramp-up for the regular season, throwing two simulated innings at the club¡¯s Minor League complex at Papago Park on Friday. He impressed Kapler by inducing a couple of quick groundouts while facing hitters such as Ka¡¯ai Tom, Patrick Bailey and Jason Krizan, giving him confidence that his stuff -- particularly his sinker -- will continue to play in the zone.
Given his progress, Webb believes he¡¯ll need only one or two more bullpen sessions before he¡¯ll be ready for game action.
¡°I can¡¯t hide my excitement,¡± Webb said. ¡°I¡¯m just super excited for everyone to get here and kind of get going with everything.¡±