Logan Webb's home run issue simply 'random,' Gabe Kapler believes
Kapler believes Webb's home run issue simply is 'random' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Logan Webb did a good job of limiting the number of home runs he allowed over the last three seasons, but through his first six starts of the 2023 MLB season, the Giants' ace is trending in the wrong direction.
After giving up another homer in the Giants' 6-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday, Webb now has allowed seven long balls in 37 1/3 innings pitched this season.
Webb will enter his first start in May close to his season total for home runs allowed in 2021 (nine) and 2022 (11).
While it looks like a troublesome trend, Giants manager Gabe Kapler doesn't seem too concerned by what he's seeing from Webb.
"With Logan, it's probably random," Kapler told reporters after Thursday's game. "It's happening in bunches early on. He is throwing a ton of strikes and that is one of his calling cards, but he's missed with location, maybe, in those moments, a little more than usual. But again, I can't stress this enough, today was a very well-pitched game by Logan Webb."
Webb cruised through six shutout innings against the Cardinals, but he made his first mistake to right fielder Alec Burleson with one out in the top of the seventh.
Webb got ahead of Burleson 0-2 and thought he had struck out the left-handed hitter on slider on the outside edge. Home plate umpire Chad Fairchild didn't give him the call, and two pitches later, Burleson connected for his third homer of the season.
"I think I went 0-2 slider and then changeup," Webb told reporters after the game. "Thought I could go up again. Kind of felt like I threw more four-seamers than I probably have in the past four years today. Just threw one too many and he got on top of it. Pretty good fastball hitter. I didn't think he'd be looking up there. Unfortunately he was."
Webb's final line Thursday in 6 2/3 innings pitched: Seven hits, two earned runs, one walk issued and seven strikeouts.
Through six starts in 2023, Webb has allowed a home run on 4.6 percent of batters he has faced this season, which is considerably higher than 2020 (1.6 percent), 2021 (1.5 percent) and 2022 (1.4 percent).
When a reporter mentioned to Kapler that Webb's home run-to-fly ball ratio was hovering around 30 percent this season, he made it clear he expects that number to correct itself.
"Those things will stabilize," Kapler told reporters. "They do stabilize. We can depend on them, historically, stabilizing. It's not that we don't want to correct the issue. We're going to continue to try to hit the best possible location, throw a ton of strikes, be in count leverage as much as possible. But Logan Webb, specifically, home runs, it's not going to be a thing. It has been so far, but it's not going to be going forward."
Fresh off signing a five-year, $90 million contract extension with the Giants, Webb now is 1-5 and he has a 4.10 ERA this season. He expects better from himself and the Giants know he will be better, otherwise they wouldn't have locked him up long-term.
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But the numbers are concerning, so there is work to be done for Webb to get back on the right track heading into May.
