3 under-the-radar SF Giants players off to a good start in 2023

3 under-the-radar SF Giants players off to a good start in 2023

2. Pitcher Alex Cobb

After breaking into the league as a promising starting pitcher for the Rays way back in 2011, Cobb began to fade into anonymity once he left Tampa and joined the Baltimore Orioles. The righty played on some bad teams and saw his shine fade and his name no longer held the weight it had in previous years.

Sure enough, the second he left the Orioles, he began a gradual return to form. In 18 starts for the Angels in 2021, he went 8-3 with a 3.76 ERA and an extremely impressive 2.92 FIP. He turned that into a two-year deal (with a club option for a third year) with the Giants and has quietly been solid for the team.

Last year, he had a 3.73 ERA and 107 ERA+ while somehow managing to lower his FIP all the way down to 2.80 which would've put him fifth in the National League amongst qualified starters.

To begin the 2023 campaign, the 35-year-old has looked like a brand new pitcher, which is really saying something after how well he did last year. Through the first seven starts of his year, Cobb has a sparkling 2.01 ERA and 214 ERA+ to go along with a 2.95 FIP. He has struck out 38 batters while walking just six and has continued to limit home runs and keep the ball in the ballpark at the best rate he's had since all the way back in 2014.

Cobb is a "been there, done that" type of pitcher who has been around the league for what feels like forever. While he's never been an All-Star (that could change this year!), he's been a reliable innings-eater for every club he's been a a part of. It's nice to see him putting up such strong numbers as he gradually inches closer to hanging his cleats up.