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Logan Webb is the face of the Giants. The voice of the franchise. The heartbeat of the clubhouse. Nobody in uniform has a better feel for this team than the longest-tenured Giant.
When he speaks, it’s always worth listening. Whether it’s to management, teammates, fans, or reporters. What he says matters, and his words resonate from the last row of the bleachers to the front row of the front office.
Webb was at the Giants’ latest Fanfest stop Saturday in San Ramon – the heart of what once was Oakland A’s territory – where fans supported him and surrounded him throughout the day at photo stations, autograph booths, and the Q&A stage.
It was a splendid opportunity, with spring training around the corner (pitchers and catchers take the field Feb. 10), to check in with the rotation ace about the Giants’ latest developments. Or in many fans’ minds, lack of developments.
It has been a relatively slow offseason on the roster front, and Webb tried to take the high road when answering questions about what the front office has and hasn’t done – all while the reigning champion Dodgers continued loading up by signing four-time All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker and three-time All-Star closer Edwin Diaz.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s not fun for me to watch the team that won it and the team that kicked our ass a lot last year go out and get some really good players, just to make it more difficult,” said Webb, whose Giants dropped nine of 13 to the Dodgers last year. “But at the end of the day, you’ve just got to play better. You’ve got to be better. Hopefully we do that.”
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That’s a big chore for the 2026 Giants. Play better and be better than last year’s .500 team. Webb sounded like he thinks it could happen and sees potential upside in the rotation despite a lack of additional starpower. Newcomers Adrian Houser and Tyler Mahle will join the trio already in place: Webb, Robbie Ray, and Landen Roupp.
Framber Valdez, the pitching prize of free agency, remains available along with Zac Gallen and others. Until further notice, the Giants will stick with this fivesome along with several younger pitchers vying for playing time, one of whom, Hayden Birdsong, was at Saturday’s event – which drew more than 12,000 fans, according to the team’s estimate, the biggest crowd since the Giants began FanFest tour stops three years ago.
It certainly doesn’t stack up with the Dodgers’ rotation of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, and Roki Sasaki. Then again, no team compares with the Dodgers. The Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Phillies all have solid rotations, but the Dodgers beat you in many other ways, too.
The Giants also added relievers Sam Hentges and Jason Foley (out until midseason) but haven’t upgraded their lineup and still are at least one man short in the outfield. Harrison Bader would be a nice fit in free agency, and trade possibilities are out there. Second base hasn’t been addressed, either, so Casey Schmitt is the man for now.
Asked if enough has been done this offseason, Webb smiled and offered neither yes nor no. Which might have been telling.
“I’m not the GM. I’m not the owner,” he said. “My job is to go out there and pitch every five days, and it’s our job in the clubhouse, the 26 of us and the coaching staff, to just try to maximize our potential and value.”
Webb called Houser and Mahle “great additions” and heaped praise on Ray while noting he’s a former Cy Young Award winner and was an All-Star last season: “I’m super excited for him,” said Webb, who has been training with Ray and others at the Giants’ Arizona facility. “I think he was a little disappointed about the end of last year, but he’s ready to go.”
Webb expressed excitement for the rotation depth, notably Birdsong, Carson Whisenhunt, Trevor McDonald, Carson Seymour, Kai-Wei Teng, and Blade Tidwell, the only pitcher in the group who didn’t appear in the majors with the Giants last season.
Like everyone else in the clubhouse, Webb is hoping for major progress from these pitchers so they could positively contribute through the summer. Webb is living proof that struggles early in a career can be overcome. He didn’t rise to prominence until well into his third season, making him a source of inspiration to others on the roster.
“I got my butt kicked a lot. It was kind of the same thing,” he said, comparing himself to the Giants’ young pitchers who have experienced their own growing pains. “I was optioned that year. I was going to come back as a reliever. Injuries happened, and I became a starter. You’ve just got to take that opportunity and run with it, and that’s been my message with a lot of those guys.
“At some point, you’ve got to step up and start doing it. As players, we all go through a time where you might get your butt kicked, but at some point, you’ve just got to step up.”
Webb will be present for the start of spring training but eventually will leave camp along with several other Giants to participate in the World Baseball Classic. He said he’s engaging in his normal buildup to training camp and figures he’ll make a couple of Cactus League starts before exiting but realizes the WBC will bring adrenaline and intensity not usually felt in March.
He has wanted to pitch for Team USA in the past and now will get his chance and is looking forward to hanging with his American teammates including Aaron Judge, the slugger that Webb tried to recruit to the Giants a few years ago.
“I wanted to be his teammate then,” Webb said, “and now I get to do it.”