Elite Pitcher Listed Among San Francisco Giants’ Future Core Stars

The San Francisco Giants are trying to rebuild a winner and this pitcher is a big piece of the puzzle in new core player and team rankings.

Sep 1, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb (62) during the third inning against the Miami Marlins at Oracle Park. / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

ESPN’s new core team rankings came out just before the San Francisco Giants signed third baseman Matt Chapman to a long-term extension.

Would that have changed the Giants’ overall ranking as a team when it comes to their core players? Perhaps.

But, even without Chapman included, the Giants had one elite player in the new rankings — pitcher Logan Webb.

Elite, in this case, is a player with a WAR (wins above replacement) of +5.0 or more. Webb is the only Giant with a WAR at that level.

For the record, Chapman has a WAR of +6.0 per baseball-reference.com. So, why wasn’t Chapman included? ESPN believed that Chapman was set to opt out of his deal. It’s the same reason that pitcher Blake Snell isn’t included. There is a common belief that he will opt-out, too.

That’s an important part of ESPN’s formula. It starts by sorting players by elite, plus and solid, based on WAR.

Plus players were defined by players with a WAR between 3-5+. Solid players had a WAR of 1.5-3+ or those that are lower end starters or role players.

Then it ranks the teams based on those tiers, along with the number of players each has under team control for at least the next two seasons. That can be pre-arbitration players, arbitration eligible players, veterans under long-term deals or prospects that haven’t reached the Majors yet.

San Francisco didn’t budge from last year’s ranking of No. 22. But, two years ago the Giants were No. 28. So there is some progress being made, which ESPN’s experts noted but comes with a caveat:

“… the same fundamental issue is there isn't a fully formed homegrown core, so they have to keep nailing free agency or trades to supplement what is here.”

And that’s why getting a deal done with Chapman to solidify third base for the next six years was so important.

The Giants had two players listed on the plus tier — catcher Patrick Bailey, a player they consider a cornerstone to their future, and reliever Ryan Walker.

After that, San Francisco has 17 players listed on the solid tier, a quality mix of their current MLB roster and the future. Current big-league players include shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald, outfielders Heliot Ramos and Jung Hoo Lee, starting pitchers Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks, Robbie Ray, Carson Whisenhunt and Hayden Birdsong, along with reliever Camilo Doval.

First base prospect Bryce Eldridge, who was just promoted to Double-A Richmond, led the players that are down on the farm. Also listed was first-round pick James Tibbs III.

The Giants still have a ways to go, but they’re making progress.