Underrated Logan Webb finally pitching like Giants ace

In the first inning Sunday at Oracle Park, San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb escaped his initial run-scoring scenario, forcing Chicago Cubs' Ian Happ to ground into a double play.

Webb avoided another scoring chance in the third as Cubs playmaker Pete Crow-Armstrong singled, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Webb got out of the inning by getting Alex Bregman to fly out.

Cubs' Moises Ballesteros doubled off Webb with two outs in the fifth, but was stranded when Dansby Swanson fouled out.

After an injury-plagued start to the season, Webb (4-4), who earned a 5-1 win Sunday, continued his quality start streak by allowing zero earned runs on seven hits in eight innings against the Cubs. The Giants avoided getting swept by the visiting Cubs for the first time since 2013. 

Webb wanted to remain in the game and told that to manager Tony Vitello, who didn't listen.

"I pretty much said F year, I'm good," he said, as reported by KNBR. "Let's go."

Giants' Logan Webb remains underrated ace

One of the most under-appreciated staff aces in the MLB, Webb has worked at least seven innings and yielded one run or fewer in each of his past three starts. In 27.1 innings since returning from the injured list, Webb posted a 0.66 earned-run average and 0.73 WHIP.

Webb was often left out of pre-season discussions on the top MLB aces. Detroit Tigers' Tarik Skubal and Pittsburgh Pirates' Paul Skenes were two popular topics among insiders.

All three were part of Team USA's rotation during the World Baseball Classic. Skubal and Skenes, the 2025 Cy Young award recipients, were marketed as the headliners, while Webb was billed as a supporting actor. 

As Skubal, the back-to-back AL recipient, and Skenes earned 2025 Cy Young awards, Webb, despite pacing the NL in games started (34), innings pitched (207) and strikeouts (224), placed fourth in the voting.

Under most of the fans' radars, Webb has proven to be one of the NL's top pitchers since 2021, posting at least 26 starts and an ERA of 3.47 or lower during that span. Over the past three seasons, Webb paced the league in innings pitched for three straight campaigns, averaging 204.2 frames.

Webb's offspeed run value remained in the 98th percentile. Will he evolve into a top deadline trade candidate?

Has anyone outside of San Francisco noticed?

More MLB news:

• Trea Turner's season-long slump continues, testing Phillies manager Don Mattingly's confidence level
• Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto sets MLB record, loses no-hit bid in win over White Sox
• Tigers' Tarik Skubal, top trade candidate, returns from elbow surgery, surrenders rare HR 
• Brewers power pitcher Jacob Misiorowski continues stacking new MLB records