Logan Webb, the Giants’ ace and one of a few bright spots from the 2023 season, could see his efforts recognized in the form of the Cy Young Award.
Major League Baseball announced finalists for each league’s Cy Young Award, as well as MVP, manager of the year and rookie of the year. All three of the candidates for the National League’s top pitching award are in the West division: San Diego’s Blake Snell and Arizona’s Zac Gallen are the other finalists.
The winner will be announced Nov. 15.
Webb, a 26-year-old Rocklin native, led MLB with 216 innings pitched and recorded the first two complete-game performances of his career, including a 2-1 complete-game win over the Padres on Sept. 25 in his final start.
His strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.28) led the National League, demonstrating the control he showed to keep the Giants in the wild-card hunt before they eventually fell off the pace in September, leading to the ouster of manager Gabe Kapler. He was one of just two traditional starting pitchers at times for the Giants as they worked through injuries, as only he, Alex Cobb and Sean Manaea crossed the 100-inning mark, and Manaea only started 10 games.
Webb’s earned-run average of 3.25 this season ranked fifth in the NL (as did his 3.16 FIP). Snell, the 2018 AL Cy Young, led the league at 2.25.
No Giants pitcher has won the Cy Young Award since Tim Lincecum went back-to-back in 2008 and 2009. The only winner in franchise history before that was Mike McCormick in 1967. San Francisco’s last major individual award was Buster Posey’s MVP season in 2012.
The GIants haven’t had a top-three finisher in the Cy Young since Lincecum won his second straight in 2009.
Madison Bumgarner was fourth in 2014 and 2016 (and sixth in 2015). Matt Cain was sixth in 2011-12, and Kevin Gausman and Rodon were sixth in 2021-22, respectively.
