Giants Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and Randy Rodriguez named NL All-Stars

San Francisco Chronicle​

3 days ago

WEST SACRAMENTO — The San Francisco Giants ' plan for success this season centered around the team's pitching.
Sunday that emphasis was rewarded with three All-Star selections.
Logan Webb, the Giants' ace, was named to the squad for the second consecutive year, and starter Robbie Ray will also head to the July 15 game in Atlanta along with a welcome surprise, reliever Randy Rodriguez, the first non-closer Giants reliever ever to be named an All-Star.
Rodriguez pitches in both the middle and late innings, a role often overlooked when it comes to recognition, and the 25-year old is in his first full big-league season. A night before, Webb called him the best reliever in the game and added, 'I think the numbers say he's the best reliever in baseball.'
Rodriguez's 0.71 ERA is tops among big-league relievers and his 1.6 WAR is tied for best with Cleveland's Cade Smith.
Webb, 28, leads MLB with 120 ⅓ innings pitched, his 2.62 ERA is fifth best among NL starters and his 133 strikeouts were the second most going into Sunday night's game against the A's. He's received Cy Young votes each of the past three years, including finishing second to Blake Snell in 2023.
'He's as consistent as it gets,' third baseman Matt Chapman said. 'Every single time he goes out there, he gives us a chance to win. I think he continues to get better, he's evolved even more this year than last year, he's added some new pitches. It's just impressive.
'Every time he takes the mound, we feel like we're going to win the game.'
Pitching coach J.P. Martinez agreed that Webb has taken another step forward this year, saying, 'He's finally reaching his potential after four years of being really, really good. He's just finding another level — and that's kind of what we expect from him now.'
Ray is also a second-time All-Star, having made the team in 2017 with Arizona. His 2.68 ERA is eighth-best in the league, his 117 strikeouts fifth most and his .201 average against fifth best. The 2021 American League Cy Young winner, Ray is only two years removed from Tommy John surgery that included a flexor tendon repair, and he's right back to his Cy Young form — or maybe even better with the addition of a changeup that Detroit's Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal taught him.
'I just love watching Robbie throw so much, especially after all the stuff he had to come back from,' Webb said. 'I just enjoy every time he's out there, the tight pants, the grunts. He's one of the best pitchers in baseball. It's a pleasure to watch him throw.'
Webb, whose final start before the break is expected to be Friday, would like to improve on his outing last year in Arlington, Texas, where he allowed three runs in his inning of work, erasing the NL's three-run lead as the AL went on to win 5-3.
Ray, 33, would just love to see action — he did not play in 2017 in Miami. He's scheduled to make his final pre-break start Tuesday. But with an offday Thursday and the Giants facing the Dodgers beginning Friday, the team is likely to have him start Sunday at Oracle Park. That would render him unable to participate in Atlanta.
Should Ray be on the team but ineligible to pitch, the league can replace him with another pitcher, probably a starter — but the Giants have another strong candidate in their bullpen who is more than deserving of consideration. Set-up man Tyler Rogers has a 1.70 ERA and his 0.85 walks per nine innings is the lowest in the game.
Had left-hander Erik Miller, who has a 1.50 ERA, not gone on the IL with an elbow sprain Saturday, he also would be worthy of a look as a replacement.