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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. >> Logan Webb didn’t find out he was going to be the San Francisco Giants’ Opening Day starter from Bob Melvin. He, like many, learned the news from the television.
“I was in the training room and I was getting ready for my bullpen today,” Webb said. “I glanced at the TV, it was on MLB Network: ‘Logan Webb named starter.’ (Dave Groeschner) was like, ‘Oh, no one said anything?’”
Melvin told reporters on Friday morning that Webb will be the Giants’ Opening Day starter against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark on March 27, the fourth consecutive year that Webb has had the honor.
“I never take this stuff for granted,” Webb said.
Webb, who will pitch on Sunday against the Reds at Scottsdale Stadium, laughed that he had yet to hear the news directly from Melvin when he spoke to reporters on Friday afternoon. That said, Webb had a strong idea that he’d get the nod, adding that his spring training schedule already revolves around him starting San Francisco’s first game of the year.The right-hander becomes the fourth Giant since the team moved to San Francisco to start four consecutive Opening Days, joining Juan Marichal (1964-69), Tim Lincecum (2009-12) and Madison Bumgarner (2014-17). Marichal had his number retired by the franchise in 1975; Webb hopes Bumgarner and Lincecum will have that honor, too.
“I’m going to try to beat Bum, hopefully,” said Webb, who has a 3.50 ERA with 20 strikeouts over 18 innings in three Opening Day starts. “It’s cool to be in the same conversation as those guys. Those were all unbelievable pitchers. When you talk about the San Francisco Giants, those were all guys who you all hear about.”
On most pitching staffs, Justin Verlander and Robbie Ray — a tandem that’s won a combined four Cy Young Awards — would at least merit some consideration for the Opening Day spot. For all their credentials, Melvin said Verlander and Ray understand what Webb means to this team.
“He’s our guy,” Melvin said. “He came up in the system. There’s a lot of love about Logan.”
Webb weaved together another excellent season in 2024, earning his first All-Star appearance and finishing sixth in NL Cy Young Award voting. He maintains his status as one of baseball’s best pitchers after finishing 13-10 with a 3.47 ERA over an NL-leading 204 2/3 inning. Webb, though, didn’t take satisfaction in his season.
“You’re always trying to keep getting better and better,” Webb said. “I thought there were some months there where I just wasn’t throwing very well. Obviously, results wise, we weren’t winning. There’s some frustrating things. I’m not saying it was a bad year. I just think I could have been better.”
Added Melvin: “Even though he’s one of the top right-handed pitchers in the game, he’s very driven to get better. Whether that’s pitch mix, whether that’s leadership. He’s shown all those things this spring.”
Webb made several tweaks in the offseason, most notably to his best pitch. The 28-year-old’s changeup had been one of baseball’s best pitches during his first three full seasons, and according to Run Value, it was the second-most valuable pitch in baseball in 2023, trailing only Gerrit Cole’s four-seam fastball. Last season, by contrast, the changeup rated out below average.
Over 319 plate appearances, opponents had a .275 batting average and .411 slugging percentage against Webb’s changeup. The expected batting average (.308) and expected slugging percentage (.502) were even worse.
Webb assessed that the shape of his changeup in ‘24 was different compared to ‘23, attributing the change to mechanics. The different shape is reflected in the data; Webb’s changeup had 11.3 inches of armside movement in ‘23 but 9.8 inches of armside movement in ‘24. Having worked on the changeup in the offseason, Webb believes that the pitch is back to normal.
“I think he’s really happy with the grip this spring,” Melvin said. “It’s moving down. It’s moving away. It looks just like his sinker; I think that’s what he’s looking for.”
The right-hander’s lack of success with the changeup last season wasn’t solely due to shape. Webb also believes he relied on the pitch too often in certain counts, allowing opponents to zero in. To provide variety, Webb plans to further incorporate his cutter.
“I’m going to keep tinkering with it,” Webb said. “I’m not going to be a heavy cutter guy now just because it worked a little bit last year, but I think adding that it can help with some of the other pitches.”
Webb didn’t throw a single cutter in ‘22 or ‘23 but re-introduced the pitch on May 15 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, his first being thrown to Shohei Ohtani. The cutter only accounted for 2.6% of pitches in ‘24, but in September, he threw the pitch 11.6% of the time. Over a small sample (15 plate appearances), opponents had a .077 batting average and slugging percentage.
“I like it,” Melvin said. “He can manipulate the baseball. The slider was really good for him, so I don’t think it’s too big of a change to try to elevate one, cut it a little bit to keep the lefties from hanging out over the outside corner. It’s looked really good — everything he throws is good.”
Worth noting
• The Giants’ first starting lineup of spring training this afternoon will feature LaMonte Wade Jr. batting leadoff and Jung Hoo Lee hitting third. Top prospect Bryce Eldridge will be available off the bench and Melvin said there’s a good chance he will play.