SF Giants tab Logan Webb as Opening Day starter against the Yankees

The SF Giants have the makings of a quality starting rotation, but the honor of pitching on Opening Day belongs to one person and that is Logan Webb. Giants manager Gabe Kapler confirmed that the 26-year-old would be making his second straight Opening Day start according to Evan Webeck of the Bay Area News Group.

SF Giants tab Logan Webb as Opening Day starter against the Yankees

The starting rotation has not had a lot of continuity in terms of personnel and performance recently, but Webb has been the one constant. The right-handed hurler has been one of the very best pitchers in baseball over the past two seasons.

Since the start of 2021, Webb has tallied a 2.96 ERA, 2.90 FIP, 1.13 WHIP, 8.5 K/9, and a 3.78 SO/W ratio in 59 appearances for San Francisco. This includes an 11th-place finish in the NL Cy Young voting last season.

These numbers do not include Webb's absolutely electric NLDS performance against the Los Angeles Dodgers where he yielded just one earned run on nine hits, 17 strikeouts, and one walk in 14.2 innings. This felt like the type of performance that immediately elevated his status as a big-game pitcher.

Webb made his first Opening Day start last season against the Miami Marlins where he yielded just one earned run in six innings. San Francisco won that game by a score of 6-5 in extra innings with Austin Slater driving in Darin Ruf in a dramatic, walk-off RBI double to left field.

Webb making his second Opening Day start quickly puts him in rare company. Only Sam Jones, Vida Blue, Rick Reuschel, Mark Gardner, Jason Schmidt, and Kirk Rueter have made exactly two Opening Day starts in franchise history.

If he manages to get one more, he will tie John Montefusco, Mike Krukow, John Burkett, and Liván Hernández with three Opening Day starts. Juan Marichal (10), Madison Bumgarner (5), and Tim Lincecum (4) are the franchise leaders in Opening Day starts.

It is not hard to envision Webb making at least a couple of more starts on Opening Day after this one, which would put him in elite company. For now, it is an awesome honor for Webb and a recognition for how well he has pitched over the past two years.