San Francisco Giants Name Matt Cain Their Fifth Starter

Matt Cain has won the fifth starter spot in the San Francisco Giants rotation. Just how long will it last?

It appears the San Francisco Giants‘ Opening Day rotation is set.

Matt Cain was once one of the most consistent pitchers the Giants had in their stable. Now, the most seasoned veteran in their rotation hopes to bounce back from an injury-laden, down four years.

The now-32-year-old right-hander was selected 25th overall in the 2002 MLB Draft out of high school in Tennessee. He made a quick ascent through the ranks and made his MLB debut at the age of 20 in 2005. He started just seven games that season, going 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA and 0.93 WHIP.

Cain was immediately on the map.

He wouldn’t disappoint. He finished fifth in the Rookie of the Year voting the following season. His first few seasons, he would become somewhat of a tough-luck loser, often posting respectable ERAs, but double-digit losses. As the Giants began to turn the corner in 2009, so did Cain.

From 2009 to 2012, Cain was a perennial All-Star, finding himself in Cy Young contention every season. He only eclipsed an ERA of 3.00 once over that span (3.14 in 2010) and posted career-best WHIPs as well. Never a big strikeout pitcher, he maintained his career strikeout rate, while posting some of the best walk ratios of his career.

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He was huge in the 2010 World Series run, not allowing an earned run in any of his three starts. Cain was key in the 2012 World Series run as well. It culminated with a perfect game in 2012, one in which he tied Sandy Koufax with 14 strikeouts, the most every recorded in a perfect game.

And then the wheels kind of came off.

2013 saw Cain’s ERA spike over 4.00 as he reached the DL for the first time in his career. He would never be the same. The end of the 2014 season saw two more surgeries, including one on his elbow which limited him to 13 appearances in 2015. Last season he made 17 starts in 21 appearances and finished 4-8 with a 5.64 ERA and 1.51 WHIP.

The Giants seem to have chosen Cain due to his experience. Ty Blach, who was impressive in his 2016 debut, is ready to enter the rotation. He will start the season in a swingman role, but should Cain continue his decline, the spot appears to be Blach’s for the taking. Both will have to fend off Tyler Beede, who has continued to make huge strides each season in the minors. He should make his appearance sometime this season.

Next: Gary Sanchez, Two-Hole Hitter?

The Giants rotation should be pretty good. Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto present a formidable top-end duo. Jeff Samardzija and Matt Moore are often the same thing each year, boom or bust. With four quality starters in front of him, Cain should have time to prove he still has something left in the tank. If not, his time in the rotation could end come May with youngsters creeping not too far behind.