The San Francisco Giants have two representatives heading to Arlington next week for Major League Baseball’s 94th All-Star Game. Starting pitcher Logan Webb and center fielder Heliot Ramos were both voted in for the first time in their careers. They have been leaders as of late, keeping the Giants alive and just under .500 heading into mid-July. It is exciting to have both a pitcher and a position player voted on to the roster since this hasn’t happened for San Francisco since 2016.
Why Both Players Deserve the Opportunity
Logan Webb
Logan Webb has been the obvious choice for the Giants when it comes to who their All-Star representative should be. He is the ace of the staff and, despite popular offseason signings, the face of the franchise. The Northern California native who grew up rooting for the Giants is a fan favorite and rarely disappoints. He was drafted by San Francisco in 2014 and made his MLB debut in 2019. Fans rejoiced when he signed a contract extension last season, which will keep him on the Giants at least through 2028.
Most of the Giants pitching staff has landed on the injured list, including Blake Snell, who we were very excited about for the first couple of weeks. This means Webb has been the workhorse for the entire first half of the season. He has already pitched 119.1 innings, with one more scheduled start in San Francisco before the Midsummer Classic. He has been very vocal about wanting to be “that guy” and throw at least 200 innings every season. He also prides himself on being able to give the bullpen rest. This has been impossible for the 2024 Giants, as they have only had two starters lately, the other being Jordan Hicks who was a reliever prior to this season.
Yet, Webb still does his part. He has pitched through the sixth inning in every start since May 5 and has made it through at least the seventh inning 11 different times, leading the Majors. His dependability and driven personality have gotten him to the All-Star Game by giving his best every five days.
Webb’s 7-6 record doesn’t do his efforts justice. It sounds much better to read his other stats as he has given up only 27 walks and earned 103 strikeouts in those 119.1 innings, currently sporting a 3.09 earned run average. Compared to the 2023 season, when he finished in second place for the Cy Young Award, Webb is continuing to get better. Whether or not he will pitch in the All-Star Game is up to his former manager Bruce Bochy, but there is one contradiction that makes his possible appearance more interesting. On the one hand, Webb always rises to the occasion, which we can tell from his .61 earned run average in his postseason appearances.
However, he also tends to be more vulnerable in his first inning of work. For reference, he has allowed 23 hits in the 1st inning of his appearances this season. In all the other innings combined, he has given up an average of 13 hits. That is a big difference that we often see in the most successful pitchers. He needs time to settle in and establish his stuff. Webb looks much more comfortable his second time through opposing lineups when he has had time to warm up against hitters and have some idea of what they are looking for. While pitchers typically only throw one inning of the All-Star game, it will be interesting to see how Webb fares. Giants fans may have a little more excitement to see Webb named to the roster this year, as he was snubbed from the 2023 All-Star Game after pitching the Sunday before. Either way, he has earned his spot and is undoubtedly going to give it everything he has.
Heliot Ramos
Heliot Ramos being an All-Star probably surprises a lot of people. It didn’t seem like the Giants would have a position player in the running, but it actually makes a lot of sense. Ramos had been called up from Triple-A eight separate times between 2022 and ‘23. This season, he played 30 games with the Rivercats, batting .296 with 8 home runs. He was called up on May 8th and has been in the Majors ever since, playing 54 games and batting .299 with 41 runs batted in. He is currently tied with Matt Chapman for the most home runs on the team with 12. Seven of those homers came in the last month and he has been on a tear defensively as well. Keeping in mind he has been with the Giants one month less than the rest of the active players, he is still at the top of the leaderboards.
Originally called up due to an injury to Jorge Soler, Ramos quickly proved that he belongs in the Major Leagues. He has shown comfortability that was not present last season, as well as confidence and leadership. His personality has shown through some of his at-bats including this one on July 2 when his helmet covered his eyes and Ramos didn’t know he hit a home run. It’s moments like that that make baseball entertaining and unpredictable. It’s great to see young players come up and have success as well, and there’s no doubt it will be fun to watch him in the All-Star Game.
Ramos will be the first homegrown Giants outfielder to appear in the All-Star Game in 36 years since Chili Davis played in 1986. With the Giants’ current streak of having a different starting left fielder on Opening Day now at 18 consecutive years, it’s refreshing to have outfielders come up from the Minor Leagues and carve out their spot. With newly signed center fielder Jung-Hoo Lee out for the season, Ramos has really stepped up and showed us why he deserves to be an All-Star.
The Big Stage
It’s easy for baseball fans and players alike to get excited about the All-Star Game. At the end of the day, no matter how much we love the simplicity and tranquil feeling of the game, baseball is about entertainment. Some might say that in recent years, MLB has strayed too far from how things used to be and the props, hit celebrations, and excessive media analysis take away from the sport’s charm. How baseball is consumed has changed over the years, correlative to the increase of social media and the decrease of our attention spans. Yet, seven million of us still tune in to the All-Star Game every year.
Players obviously see representing their team at a game that most legends have played in as a huge honor, and that’s not going to change. It’s also a nice break in the middle of the season and an opportunity for something out of the ordinary. While we love that our teams grind day in and day out, it’s admittedly really cool to switch it up and have a special event. Seeing some of the greatest talents of our day all playing together is a midsummer treat that isn’t going anywhere, despite the rate of change in the sports world. Sometimes a spectacle is necessary, so buckle up and get ready for Major League Baseball’s 94th All-Star Game, featuring Logan Webb and Heliot Ramos!
