Giants get two All-Star reps despite dreadful first half

DENVER — Manager Tony Vitello gathered the Giants in the visitors’ clubhouse of Coors Field about two hours before first pitch Saturday and relished the chance to deliver a rare bit of good news.

The third-worst team in the National League will have two representatives at next week’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia. Logan Webb and Luis Arraez were both selected by their peers.

Giants pitcher Logan Webb was selected for his third All-Star team. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“I didn’t want to mess it up,” the rookie manager said. “It’s my first go-around.”

Vitello called it an “honor” to inform Webb that he would be an All-Star for the third straight season and that Arraez had earned his fourth nod following a one-year hiatus.

In both cases, it would have been hard to see coming just a few months ago.

Webb had planned to spend his All-Star break on a wildlife ranch, and it sure looked like he would have his schedule available when he landed on the injured list after his eighth start.

At the time, he was sporting a 5.06 ERA.

But he turned around his season so dramatically, allowing three total earned runs over five June starts, that he was named an All-Star a day after earning his first National League pitcher of the month honors.

“To be honest, I didn’t really expect this,” Webb said. “But it’s always nice to be recognized by your peers and teammates, coaches around baseball. Obviously it’s a cool honor. I’ll take as many as I can get.”

The Giants’ Luis Arraez earned his fourth career All-Star nod but first with San Francisco. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Because he is lined up to make his final start of the first half on Wednesday, Webb should be an option for National League manager Dave Roberts.

Webb had improved his ERA to 3.09 by the time selections were finalized, before he was shelled for seven runs on 11 hits in Friday night’s 15-3 loss, raising the mark back to 3.66.

“Obviously after yesterday,” Webb said, “I don’t really feel like an All-Star today.”

Nobody was happier to learn that Arraez had regained his All-Star status than Ron Washington, who the second baseman said was “like my grandfather right now. … He was very excited.”

It’s Arraez’s daily drills with the infield coach that have transformed him from one of the league’s worst defenders into one of the best at his position. When he signed with the Giants, he didn’t have any other offers from teams willing to give him the chance to play second base.

“It means a lot, when you put in a lot of work,” Arraez said.

Webb has taken notice. As Arraez’s name swirls in trade rumors ahead of the Giants’ anticipated selloff, their ace said, “hope I’m his teammate for a long time.”

“Luis is probably one of the hardest workers I’ve been around, and I’ve been around a lot of them,” Webb said. “Just getting around Wash and really just putting his nose into it, it’s been really fun to watch.”

Arraez was previously an All-Star in 2022 with the Twins, in 2023 with the Marlins and 2024 with the Padres, but he missed out last season amid health issues and a down year at the plate. Those numbers are back to normal this year, with his highest batting average (.326), on-base percentage (.361) and slugging percentage (.465) since the best season of his career in 2023.

“What he’s done in the past is nothing to slouch at,” Vitello said. “But the dedication that he and Wash have hooked up to prove that he’s not just in contention for a batting title, as he always is, but a Gold Glove as well. You combine those two things and you’ve got an exciting player sprinkled on top of it, you definitely have an All-Star.”

Despite its underwhelming first half, 15 games below .500 when MLB revealed the All-Star rosters Saturday afternoon, San Francisco will be strongly represented at the sure-to-be patriotic 96th midsummer classic next Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park.

The game coincides with the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding in the same city.

The last time the Giants were limited to the minimum one All-Star was in 2019, even though that team had three fewer losses at the All-Star break than this one has with another week to go.

The last time the Giants had started a season this poorly, entering the break at 34-56 in 2017, Buster Posey was their lone representative, voted a starter by the fans for the fourth time.

And yet, even on this dreadful team, Webb and Arraez had competition as its most deserving players. Casey Schmitt has arguably been their best hitter while playing five different positions, and it’s a tad surprising the commissioner’s office — which has a hand in selecting the reserves — declined to tip the scales for Jung Hoo Lee given his breakout season and global appeal.

Both players would have been first-time All-Stars.

“Obviously it’s not a secret we’re not playing very good here,” Webb said. “But there’s probably about three other guys that should be an All-Star. Probably more deserving than me.”