© Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
While the Giants are set with Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto, and Jeff Samardzija topping the rotation and the established talents of Mark Melancon and Sam Dyson in the bullpen, they are counting on several young pitchers to round out the pitching staff in 2018.
Some might see relying on unproven talent as concerning, but pitching coach Curt Young, who was hired by the Giants during the offseason, told Murph & Mac on Friday morning that he’s excited about what he’s seen from these young pitchers.
“Either way, you have to get them ready for their season,” Young said. “So you do this process, the starters are going to get around six starts and then the relievers are going to get the action they need, but you talk about all of those names and it kind of lights me up. The arms these guys have and the way they throw the baseball is exciting for me.”
Ty Blach and Chris Stratton both saw time with the Giants last season and are two of the leading candidates for the open rotation spots this season.
Blach started 24 games last year, but struggled to the tune of a 4.81 ERA and 8-12 record as a starter. Nonetheless, he pitched phenomenally over a four-game stretch in late-May, where he went 4-0 with a 1.76 ERA and victories against two playoff-bound teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs.
As Blach’s struggles ultimately saw him finish the season in the bullpen, Stratton finished the year in the rotation and boasted a 2.98 ERA with a 4-3 record as a starter. He was also successful against contending teams with a pair of 10-strikeout games against the Washington Nationals and Arizona Diamondbacks.
And now that Matt Moore was traded to the Texas Rangers, the fourth and fifth spots are their’s, along with prospects Tyler Beede and Andrew Suarez, for the taking.
A strong showing in Spring Training could win Beede and Suarez either a starting role with the Giants or, at the very least, a spot in the bullpen, which puts the pressure on young relievers Josh Osich, Derek Law, Steven Okert, and Albert Suarez put last year’s struggles behind them and impress during Spring Training.
Out of those four, Law’s 5.06 ERA was the lowest with Suarez (5.12), Okert (5.67), and Osich (6.23) following suit. With the rotation-hopefuls on their heels, these relievers will need to put up better numbers to secure their roster spot with the Giants in 2018.
“Once the game starts, the competition is on, not just with the other team, but among our pitchers,” Young said. “We have some nice competition to who’s going to break camp.”
To listen to the full interview check out the podcast below, and skip to 8:56 for Young on the Giants.