San Francisco Giants: Can Madison Bumgarner be the savior?
By Drew Douglas
Madison Bumgarner is nearing his season debut for the reeling San Francisco Giants. Can he propel them to a division title?
Despite acquiring Andrew McCutchen, Evan Longoria, and Tony Watson last offseason, the San Francisco Giants currently find themselves in fourth place in the National League West. Several key injuries have led to a slow start, as they are currently four games under .500, yet they are still within striking distance of first place.
The NL West has been an odd division early in 2018. Each contender has dealt with injured or underperforming stars, leaving some of baseball’s best teams at less than full strength. Incredibly, the Colorado Rockies, Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Giants have combined for a .495 winning percentage.
The Dodgers have begun returning to form, winning eight of their last 10, but the division is still up for grabs. Unfortunately, the Giants recently missed a great opportunity, losing seven of 10 while the Diamondbacks lost eight of 10.
The good news for the Giants is that help is on the way. Madison Bumgarner and Mark Melancon are nearing their season debuts.
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Bumgarner dominated in his most recent rehabilitation appearance, striking out eight of the 12 batters he faced. There were reports that he could return to the Giants’ rotation as early as this Friday, but he will likely make at least one more rehab start.
Bumgarner’s impact is undeniable, as he has finished in the top 10 in Cy Young voting in four of the last five years, but the Giants need him now more than ever.
The Giants’ starting rotation has pitched to a 4.77 ERA in 2018, good for third-worst in the National League. Unfortunately, the season stats are inflated by Johnny Cueto‘s dominant start (0.84 ERA in five April starts).
Without Cueto, the Giants’ rotation has pitched to a 5.62 ERA this month, good for second-worst in the National League.
Jeff Samardzija is currently serving as the Giants’ ace, but his 6.23 ERA is unacceptable for a fifth starter, let alone an ace. Chris Stratton, Ty Blach, Andrew Suarez, and Derek Holland have each fared better than Samardzija, but Holland’s 4.73 ERA leads the quintet.
Judging by the rotation’s lack of production, it becomes evident that Bumgarner is desperately needed in San Francisco. Furthermore, the Giants’ bullpen misses Bumgarner.
The Giants’ relief corps has pitched the fifth-most innings in the majors, partially due to the starters’ struggles. The starting rotation has not been able to go deep into games, which is taking a toll on the bullpen.
In terms of ERA, San Francisco has the fourth-worst bullpen in the league. They are missing Melancon, but they have suffered from overuse as well.
In addition to reviving the rotation, Bumgarner will take some pressure off the bullpen. He has pitched at least 200 innings in six of the last seven years and likely would have reached 200 innings last year if he was healthy.
There is no doubt that the Giants will need to make moves at the deadline to remain in contention, but hot starts from Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, and Brandon Belt, among others, have kept San Francisco in the mix.
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Considering the plethora of injuries and imminent returns of Madison Bumgarner and Mark Melancon, the San Francisco Giants have to like where they stand.