San Francisco Giants 2016 Season Grades: Starting Pitchers

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Oct 10, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner (40) pitches against the Chicago Cubs in the fifth inning in game three of the 2016 NLDS playoff baseball series at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

San Francisco Giants. MADISON BUMGARNER. A+. . LHP

Madison Bumgarner might have just had his best full season as a pro. With the seasons Jose Fernandez, Max Scherzer, and a few others had, it’s a tossup for the NL Cy Young award. Bumgarner was clearly one of the best though.

Bumgarner threw the most innings in the National League and posted a 2.74 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. Opponents only hit .219 off of the workhorse, and Bumgarner finished with a K/BB ratio of 4.65. His FIP was a 3.24, and Bumgarner stranded almost 80% of his runners on base this year.

While Crawford and others may have gotten more play as, “The Team MVP” this year, none were more integral to the team’s success. Bumgarner is probably the best pitcher the Giants franchise has seen, and we can’t really expect more from him than this. His WAR was a 4.9, higher than any Giants field player, with Jonny Cueto the only Giant with a higher WAR (5.5).

Next: Giants 2016 Grades: Infielders/Catchers

Here is the posting schedule for The Giant’s 2016 Season Grades:

10/14: Outfielders

10/15: Infielders/Catchers

10/16: Starters

10/17: Bullpen

10/18: Management