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Best San Francisco Giants of the 2010s: 1. Madison Bumgarner

By Joel Reuter

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 16: Madison Bumgarner #40 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the top of the first inning at AT&T Park on September 16, 2017 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 16: Madison Bumgarner #40 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the top of the first inning at AT&T Park on September 16, 2017 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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Workhorse left-hander Madison Bumgarner has established himself as a franchise icon in his 11 seasons with the San Francisco Giants.

The San Francisco Giants selected Madison Bumgarner with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2007 MLB draft out of South Caldwell High School in Hudson, North Carolina.

He was the second high school pitcher and the first prep left-hander selected in that year’s draft.

Here’s a quick look at the players drafted before him:

  1. LHP David Price, TB: 39.7 WAR
  2. 3B Mike Moustakas, KC: 17.2 WAR
  3. 3B Josh Vitters, CHC: -1.3 WAR
  4. RHP Daniel Moskos, PIT: 0.2 WAR
  5. C Matt Wieters, BAL: 18.5 WAR
  6. LHP Ross Detwiler, WAS: -0.1 WAR
  7. 1B Matt LaPorta, MIL: -1.0 WAR
  8. RHP Casey Weathers, COL: N/A
  9. RHP Jarrod Parker, ARI: 6.5 WAR
  10. LHP Madison Bumgarner, SF: 37.0 WAR

After a strong first full pro season, he began the 2009 season as the No. 1 prospect in the farm system and the No. 9 prospect in baseball, according to Baseball America.

He made his MLB debut at the age of 20 on Sept. 8, 2009, and posted a 1.80 ERA in 10 innings of work down the stretch.

The big left-hander was again one of baseball’s elite prospects at the start of the 2010 season, and he stepped into a prominent role on the staff, logging a 3.00 ERA and 1.31 WHIP with 86 strikeouts in 111 innings over 18 starts.

He was part of the team’s postseason rotation and laid the groundwork for a stellar playoff career by tossing eight shutout innings in Game 4 of the World Series.

That was only the beginning.

In 102.1 career postseason innings, he has been nothing short of phenomenal with a 2.11 ERA and 0.90 WHIP. He threw three complete-game shutouts and picked up a legendary save in Game 7 of the 2014 World Series when he allowed just nine hits and one earned run in 21 innings during the Fall Classic.

His success didn’t just come in October, as he quickly established himself as one of the game’s elite starters.

He has four top 10 Cy Young finishes under his belt and all told has gone 119-92 with a 3.13 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 1,794 strikeouts in 1,846 innings. He has topped 200 innings seven times in his career and posted a sub-3.00 ERA four different times.

The 2019 season might be the end of the line with free agency looming, but he has done more than enough to carve out his legacy within the organization and earn the No. 1 spot on this list.

Next. No. 2 Buster Posey

Check back here regularly as we count down the 50 best San Francisco Giants of the 2010s.

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