How SF Giants starter Alex Cobb became MLB’s ‘most underrated pitcher’

SF Giants righty Alex Cobb is only focused on getting back to the playoffs, but the veteran has quietly been one of the best pitchers in MLB.

Entering play on Friday, a list of the top 10 qualified pitchers by fWAR since June 19, 2022, unsurprisingly, features most of the best starters in MLB. Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Nola, and Luis Castillo are a few of the big names in the top five. But there is one surprise on the list. Ranked 10th in the league with 3.5 fWAR, just behind Gerrit Cole, Sandy Alcantara, and Shane Bieber, and just ahead of Yu Darvish, Corbin Burnes, and Dylan Cease, is SF Giants veteran pitcher Alex Cobb.

Since Cobb was activated from the injured list (for a neck strain) on June 19, 2022, he has been one of the best pitchers in the league, according to several metrics. Cobb's 2.91 ERA, 2.89 FIP, and 3.05 xFIP all rank among MLB's elite over that span. In fact, he has posted a better fWAR, ERA, FIP, and xFIP than stars like Darvish, Burnes, and Alek Manoah.

This is not the first time Cobb has put up top-flight numbers over a prolonged period. In his mid-20s from 2013-2014, he recorded a 2.82 ERA across 49 starts with the Tampa Bay Rays. He was one of the best young pitchers in the majors before UCL surgery caused him to miss most of the next two seasons. Roughly eight years later, Cobb finally feels like he is putting the impact of that surgery behind him.

"Ever since I had Tommy John, I've been trying to find my groove," Cobb told Giants Baseball Insider on Friday. "It's been a long journey, and I'm just finally feeling like I'm at the tail end of all that. The ingredients were there for a good part, but I wasn't repeating it."

Now age 35, Cobb points to several factors that have helped him find success more than a decade into his career. Ironically, he pointed to his 2015 Tommy John and 2019 hip surgeries that lessened his workload over the years. He mentioned playing through disappointing seasons that forced him to focus on working harder, hitting the weight room, and trying new things. However, as so many resurgent pitching stories do these days, he also pointed to Driveline Baseball.

"Ultimately, after 2020, I went to Driveline and reinvigorated my career," Cobb said. "I used to be sitting 92-93, now I'm sitting 94-95. It really got my delivery back to where my split was moving a lot more. There's a handful of things that have gone into it."

While fans have seen how Cobb's work at Driveline has improved his on-field performance, he says Driveline’s "biggest impact" was on his recovery routine. He said he bounces back much faster between outings.

Cobb's performance has not gone unnoticed by his teammates.

"The guy is always good," Giants catcher Joey Bart told reporters after Cobb's complete-game shutout on April 24th. "I feel strongly that he's easily the most underrated pitcher in the game. You don't really hear a lot of people talk about him, but the guy is really tough, he's got real stuff, and I joke with him all the time that he's getting better as he gets older."

It is hard to argue with Bart's assertion. Cobb has arguably outperformed Giants ace Logan Webb since returning from the IL last season, but he has barely generated any national attention. He did not rank among any prominent preseason rankings of the top starting pitchers in the majors.

Fans have yet to take much notice of Cobb's prolonged success as well. As of Friday, he was only rostered in 50.6% of ESPN fantasy baseball leagues, fewer than mid-rotation arms like Jon Gray (52.2%) and José Berríos (67.6%).

While Cobb said it's meaningful to hear Bart compliment his game, he does not mind the lack of notoriety.

"I think early in my career, I wanted some sort of affirmation for people to think highly of me," Cobb recalled. "I think as you get older, you realize that stuff doesn't matter. I think it's nice to have success, and it is nice when people write nice things about you or whatever, but as I've gotten older, I really just don't care as much about that stuff."

"I've seen so many great players come in and be the face of the game and then retire and just go off, and nobody remembers, nobody really cares," Cobb continued. "When you're in the middle of it, you realize that nobody is going to care when you're done. So, I don't care to have this temporary notoriety. I just focus on things that are going to last."

When Cobb says "things that are going to last," he means getting back to the playoffs.

"I haven't been in the postseason since 2013, and that's all I really think about when it comes to baseball right now," Cobb said. "I remember pitching in the postseason and thinking, I can't wait to get back to this moment after we got eliminated, and I hope it's quick. And then, it's been 10 years since that year. So, I have a really strong desire to get that feeling back."

Cobb, after all, signed a two-year, $20 million deal with the Giants on the heels of a 107-win campaign. Of course, the Giants failed to replicate their 2021 magic last season and are off to a below .500 start in 2023.

Whether he realizes it or not, Cobb's excellent performance has greatly increased his chances of getting back to the playoffs with the Giants or another team by the end of this year.

Cobb's contract includes a $10 million club option for next season. The Giants have chosen not to trade coveted starters like Madison Bumgarner, Kevin Gausman, and Carlos Rodón over the past few years under president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi. However, none of those players had an additional season of team control. If the Giants fall out of contention and consider selling, that option could lead another team to meet a high Giants asking price and get a deal done.

For now, the 12-year MLB veteran is focused on helping the SF Giants get back on track. He has experienced the ups and downs that Major League Baseball has to offer and just wants to help his team win. And since last June, few pitchers in the majors have done a better job of that than Alex Cobb.