Giants-Padres Opening Day starting pitchers: Webb vs. Darvish

SAN DIEGO -- For the Giants, Opening Day comes Thursday at Petco Park. For the Padres, it’s their home opener after they split two games against the Dodgers last week in Seoul, South Korea.

The teams have much in common.

San Francisco and San Diego turned to new leadership in the dugout this offseason as they both target returns to the playoffs following disappointing seasons in 2023. The Giants hired manager Bob Melvin away from the Padres, who, in turn, hired former Cardinals skipper Mike Shildt -- an adviser to the Padres during Melvin’s time in San Diego who also saw time on the coaching staff when needed to fill in.

The Giants capped off their roster reconstruction by signing frontline starting pitcher Blake Snell, late of the Padres. The Friars, meanwhile, plugged that hole in their rotation by trading for Dylan Cease. On the mound on Thursday, however, are two holdovers.

Logan Webb
Previous Opening Day starts: 2022, 2023
2023 season: 11-13, 3.25 ERA, 33 starts, 216 innings, 194 strikeouts, 31 walks

Melvin didn’t have to think too hard about who his Opening Day starter would be this year.

“Well, that’s easy,” Melvin said. “That’s not a tough one.”

Even before Melvin's choice became official on Tuesday, it was obvious that the Giants were penciling in Webb to start his third consecutive regular-season opener, the club’s longest such streak since Madison Bumgarner started four straight lidlifters from 2014-17.

“Anytime you get to say you started Opening Days it’s an awesome thing,” Webb said. “When you do have the honor to do that, it’s kind of like you’re setting the tone for the season and that’s exactly what I’m hoping that I'll be able to do.”

Now entering his sixth season in San Francisco, the 27-year-old Webb has solidified his status as one of the premier workhorses in the Majors, finishing runner-up in the 2023 National League Cy Young Award race after becoming the first Giants pitcher to lead the league in innings since Gaylord Perry in 1970.

Armed with an elite sinker-changeup combination, Webb generated a 62.7% ground ball rate last year, the highest figure in the Majors, allowing him to consistently pitch deep into games despite receiving the lowest run support of any qualified starter.

“I personally feel like it was my best year,” Webb said about his 2023 season. “I’m excited to go back out there and hopefully recreate that and hopefully get more wins for the team. … I want to feel that feeling again of pitching in the playoffs.”

The Giants’ bats will hope to do a better job of supporting their homegrown ace this year, but Webb should also get a boost from the club’s improved infield defense, which could feature a pair of Gold Glove winners in third baseman Matt Chapman and shortstop Nick Ahmed.

Yu Darvish
Previous Opening Day starts: 2017, 2021, 2022, 2024
2023 season: 8-10, 4.56 ERA, 24 starts, 136 1/3 innings, 141 strikeouts, 43 walks

Darvish has one regular season start in already under his belt, having allowed one unearned run over 3 2/3 innings in the Major League opener last Wednesday against the Dodgers. He ended the 2023 season on the injured list because of a stress reaction in his right elbow but made 30 starts in each of his first two seasons in San Diego.

Healthy again, Darvish benefitted from a normal Spring Training routine after he was away from the club in 2023 to pitch for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic before the regular season. Constantly reinventing himself, Darvish counts 11 pitches in his repertoire and changes the mix frequently, depending on feel and trust. The normal ramp-up to the season can only help in that regard.

Darvish threw 72 pitches against the Dodgers, and Shildt was hyper aggressive with his bullpen in Korea since the Padres have a week between regular-season games. A strikeout pitcher, Darvish is prone to high pitch counts. His 7.5% walk rate last year was his highest since 2019 (7.7%), so improving efficiency will be a point of emphasis in 2024.