Logan Webb has long been the anchor of the San Francisco Giants' rotation, but as the 2026 season unfolds, a pressing question is beginning to surface: Have his best days already passed?
It's a provocative headline, sure, but when you consider how closely the Giants' fortunes are tied to their ace, it's a conversation worth having. And right now, the Giants appear to be going nowhere fast.
By several metrics, Webb is off to the worst start of his otherwise stellar career. Back in 2019, his debut season featured eight starts over 39.2 innings with a 5.22 ERA and a 1.462 WHIP. While those numbers were clearly below average, they came from a raw rookie finding his footing. Fast forward to 2026, and the same pitcher—now a seasoned veteran with three straight 200-inning seasons under his belt—is struggling in ways that feel unfamiliar.
But context matters. Webb's most recent start ended after just four innings, reportedly due to knee trouble. As MLB.com's Henry Schulman noted, that injury might actually come as a relief compared to the intangible speculation surrounding Webb's early-season struggles. Could it be the cumulative toll of three grueling 200-inning campaigns? Or perhaps the early ramp-up for this year's World Baseball Classic, where Webb dominated with 11 strikeouts and just one earned run over 8.2 innings across two starts?
The knee issue could simply be a convenient explanation. Yet, from a stuff and Statcast perspective, pre-injury Webb looked like his usual dominant self. In a small sample of roughly seven starts, bad luck remains a very reasonable conclusion.
Still, history offers a cautionary tale. Since 1995, only 90 pitchers have logged 1,000 or more innings before their age-29 season—Webb's current age. That list is a who's who of reliable, 200-inning workhorses, but it also serves as a reminder of how quickly the workload can catch up. For Giants fans, the hope is that Webb's knee issue is just a temporary setback, not the beginning of a decline.
As the season progresses, the answer will reveal itself. But for now, the conversation has officially begun.