The San Francisco Giants haven’t made the postseason in four years, and their ace is getting tired of it.
Logan Webb entered his eighth season with plenty to say about where things stand. The Giants’ last playoff appearance came in 2021, when they lost to the Dodgers in five games during the NLDS. That’s been Webb’s only taste of October baseball.
“I’m tired of finishing around .500. I know fans are tired of it. None of us is happy about it, either. I’ve been here the longest now, and it’s frustrating.”
It’s hard to argue with Webb’s frustration. Being mediocre can feel worse than being terrible – at least terrible teams get high draft picks and clear direction.
But here’s the thing about having your ace publicly voice that frustration. When one of your best players says he’s tired of losing and wants to prioritize winning, it can light a fire under the entire clubhouse. The Giants need exactly that kind of energy.
The franchise knows what success looks like. They won three World Series titles between 2010-2014. But that 2021 playoff run represents their only postseason appearance in the last nine years.
Webb’s got every right to be impatient. Dominant starting pitchers don’t grow on trees, and he’s proven he belongs in that conversation.
Last season, Webb posted a 15-11 record with a 3.22 ERA and struck out 224 batters – third-most in the league behind only Tarik Skubal and Garrett Crochet. Those are ace numbers on a team that couldn’t quite get over the hump.
The way I see it, the Giants are at a crossroads. They’ve got a legitimate front-line starter who’s entering his prime and clearly wants to win. If they can’t start turning things around soon, they risk losing Webb’s patience entirely.
No contending team would mind having a pitcher of Webb’s caliber available via trade. That’s probably not lost on the Giants’ front office as they try to build something meaningful around their homegrown ace.
