How Posey knew right away Webb would become star with Giants
How Posey knew right away Webb would become star with Giants originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Former Giants catcher Buster Posey had a feeling Logan Webb was something special back in 2021, and San Francisco's ace is proving him right three years later.
After finishing the 2023 MLB season as the NL Cy Young Award runner-up, Webb's dominant stretch has continued in 2024. In an exclusive interview with The Athletic's Tim Kawakami, Posey reflected on witnessing Webb's ascension during the Giants' 107-win season, when he compared the pitcher to Tim Lincecum.
“I just believed it,” Posey told Kawakami. “I was fortunate to catch guys like Timmy and [Matt] Cain, [Madison] Bumgarner, you could go on and on. Again for me, with Webby it was just … some guys have the ability to give the rest of the team a sense, before they even take the mound, that you’re going to win the game that day. And I think he has that innately.
“We’ve seen him progress even more these last couple years and take on a leadership role. What a great one to build your staff around.”
Back in 2021, Posey cited Webb's demeanor in high-intensity situations as one of the traits that stood out most to him. And Webb, speaking to reporters after Posey's high praise three years ago, said he was "lucky" to have such an esteemed catcher behind the dish, who gave him the confidence to throw his best pitches.
Perhaps Posey's guidance is where all the success started for Webb. Looking back on that 2021 campaign, Posey told Kawakami how he knew Webb had the "it" factor like the aces of Giants past.
“One, his stuff is just really good. I mean, to have success in the big leagues, you’ve gotta have great stuff,” Posey told Kawakami of Webb. “I hate to say it doesn’t matter how bad you want it or how bad you want to be the guy, but you’ve [got to] have the stuff. He’s got the stuff. And then No. 2, I would say just watching him down the stretch in ’21, he met every moment.
"Whether it was the last couple of weeks of the season and facing a tough opponent, just watching the way he carried himself, not only in the game but before the game. And it wasn’t fear, it was excitement to meet the moment, and he did that down the stretch. To me, that just proved a ton.”
Webb brought a 2.33 ERA into Tuesday's game against the Boston Red Sox, having surrendered just three runs across his previous four starts.
And while Webb also is personable and well-liked in the clubhouse, often seen chatting and joking with his teammates in the dugout, Posey also pointed out the pitcher is very honed on the game at the same time -- the delicate balancing act of a leader.
“To me, a great starting-pitcher leader is somebody that’s down in the dugout and is in tune to what’s going on each and every game,” Posey told Kawakami. “You can see, just me watching a lot of the games on TV, Webby’s always having conversations with people. Doesn’t even necessarily have to be about baseball all the time, right? It’s just about building relationships. Maybe it’s goofing off sometimes.
"But all that adds up and you start earning the respect of your teammates.”
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