MLB Insider Praises This Key San Francisco Giants Unit as Playoff Hopes Rise

The San Francisco Giants have a rotation that has helped them get back into the NL Wild Card playoff race.

Jul 24, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray (38) delivers to the plate in the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco Giants have been red hot of late and that has helped them get within two games of the final National League Wild Card berth going into this week.

Why is it happening? Well, there are plenty of reasons. Fans of the team would certainly point to the rise of position players like Tyler Fitzgerald and Heliot Ramos.

But, as one Major League Baseball insider pointed out, it’s the starter rotation that has helped the Giants get pointed in the right direction.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal said on his bi-weekly podcast, Fair Territory, that the Giants are one of four rotations that are “pointing up” as the playoff races goes on.

The other rotations he pointed out were the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Atlanta Braves and the Chicago Cubs.  

Rosenthal pointed out that the rotation has “stabilized,” thanks in no small part to left-hander Blake Snell, who spent most of the first half of this season injured.

Since he returned from his second IL stint in July, he’s been exceptional, a stretch that included a no-hitter. Entering his scheduled start on Monday against Atlanta, he was 2-3 with a 4.31 ERA. But in his last seven games he was 2-0 with a 1.65 ERA with 56 strikeouts and 14 walks in 43.2 innings.

The two-time Cy Young winner is pitching like an ace again, and he’s back up by 2021 American League Cy Young winner Robbie Ray.

The Giants acquired Ray in the offseason knowing that he would need at least half the season to finish his recovery from Tommy John surgery. He’s pitched four games with the Giants this season and he’s been solid, going 2-1 with a 3.98 ERA. He’s struck out 28 and walked nine in 20.1 innings.

Left-hander Kyle Harrison and right-hander Logan Webb, the latter of which was selected to the National League All-Star team, have given the Giants consistent work all season.

Harrison is in his first full MLB season and is 6-5 with a 4.08 ERA in 20 starts. He’s struck out 97 and walked 34 in 106 innings. He’s had one IL stint this season for a right ankle sprain.

Webb, meanwhile, hasn’t missed a start due to injury and is 10-8 with a 3.32 ERA in 25 games, with 133 strikeouts and 40 walks in 157 innings.

Rookie Hayden Birdsong has taken the fifth spot, and his performance was enough to allow the Giants to trade long-time starter Alex Cobb to Cleveland at the deadline. The right-hander is 3-2 with a 5.40 ERA in eight starts, with 44 strikeouts and 19 walks in 36.2 innings.

If the Giants are going to make a run to the playoffs these final weeks, the rotation will play a big role.