SF Giants starting pitcher trust rankings - June edition
The SF Giants are a bit of a funky team. They're deep in the starting corps, no doubt - eight players could reasonably take the mound to start against the Cubs next weekend. But the order of those eight players is largely unsettled, due to both injuries and ineffectiveness. In any given week, you're liable to see openers, piggyback starts, bullpen games, and/or complete games.
That makes this month's starting pitcher trust rankings a bit of a Rorschach test. Do you believe in recent dominance from a starter that got snakebit once or twice in the past few weeks? Would you rather bet on pure stuff rising to the top as the season wears on? Or is there a rookie that you think will charge in and settle the hierarchy for good?
Let's run down the list and make a case for where each of these pitchers slot in the rankings of a team that's shown that it wants to be more than an also-ran this season. We'll list May-only stats for each one to give you an idea of how their past few weeks have gone and how they're shaping up as we head into June.
Honorable Mentions
John Brebbia - a starter by technicality, Brebbia opened three games in the past month. He did a fine job in the role, allowing 1 hit, 1 ER, and 1 BB in 2.2 IP.
Tristan Beck - while not a starter, Beck threw the fifth-most innings for the Giants in May. He's increasingly being used in a long-relief role, where he's been on fire, allowing just one run in his last 9 innings.
Kyle Harrison - soon.
Back of the Rotation
Ross Stripling - 4 G, 16.2 IP, 7.56 ERA
Stripling's tenure in San Francisco has not gone well thus far. The righty starter followed up a 6.89 ERA in April with an even worse mark in May. He's been on the 15-day IL since the 19th, which in all likelihood has spared his ERA further suffering. Stripling hasn't been getting shelled whenever he goes out there, he's just been unable to keep the hits from piling up, tanking his efficiency. If Stripling can't return from injury this month and show positive changes, he's a candidate to be traded or DFA'd.
Alex Wood - 5 G, 20.0 IP, 6.30 ERA
Wood finds himself dropping precariously in these trust rankings after a stinker against the Pirates on Wednesday, giving up 6 runs in 4.1 IP. It's a shame, too, because it came off the heels of his best outing of the year, a 1-run, 5.2 inning outing against the Brewers. But the crooked number brought his ERA to 6.30 in May, he's only thrown 5 innings in a start once this year, and he's issued 8 walks in his last two games. The Giants need quality innings from Wood, but more than ever, he's someone they have to protect instead of someone they can rely on.
Sean Manaea - 6 G, 18.1 IP, 3.93 ERA
Guys like Manaea really throw a wrench into our traditional understanding of the rotation. On one hand, he's made only two true starts in May, giving up 7 ER in 7.2 IP in those games. On the other hand, he's allowed just one run in his last four appearances, which have largely seen him piggyback off of John Brebbia as an opener. His stuff has generally been great, but wrangling it into consistency has been a major issue. Manaea might be even less of a true starter at this point than Wood or Stripling, but his recent run of success after a dismal April gives him a little more trust in our eyes than those two.
SF Giants pitcher Sean Manaea pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field (2023).
Benny Sieu -USA TODAY Sports
Middle of the Rotation
Anthony DeSclafani - 6 G, 37.1 IP, 4.10 ERA
DeSclafani's value really pops out when you compare the innings he threw last month to the previous three guys. His earned run totals look suspiciously like Stripling's, but he's been able to go twice as deep, giving the Giants a shot most days he goes out there. Even if he stumbled a bit after a strong start to the month - his 8-inning shutout vs. Houston was dominant- he's been able to threaten a quality start every time he's gone out there. For a team with this much inconsistency in the back of its rotation, that's a valuable skill.
Alex Cobb - 5 G, 28.2 IP, 3.77 ERA
Like his forename counterpart, Cobb ends May with an absolute clunker, giving up 7 earned in four innings against Milwaukee. The major difference here is that he came into that start with a 2.17 ERA on the year, which makes it easier to shrug it off as a minor blip on his 2023 record. Right now, Cobb slots in as either a passable second starter or very strong third starter, and he should be able to turn in another strong month in June.
Top of the Rotation
Logan Webb - 5 G, 34.2 IP, 1.30 ERA
The ace of the rotation and the undisputed best starter for San Francisco last month, Logan Webb is on fire. He threw no fewer than 6.0 innings in five starts in May, and gave up no more than two runs. That's elite stuff. His April shakiness might have given some fans reason to worry, but that's gone now that he's found his stride. If Webb loses his spot at the top of our June 2023 starting pitching trust rankings, then it's probably because something went wrong for him. The bar he's set is just too high to reasonably expect anyone else in this rotation to clear it.
