What Webb expects from Giants’ group of ‘grinders’ in 2023 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Coming off a franchise-best 107 wins in 2021, the Giants entered the 2022 MLB season with high hopes but fell short of reaching them.
With the start of 2023’s campaign less than two weeks away, San Francisco’s ace and Opening Day starter Logan Webb expects the Giants to get back to their winning ways.
“We have a lot of guys that are just grinders,” Webb told 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs” on Friday. “A lot of really good baseball players that have had really, really, really good seasons, that might have been hurt the year before or maybe had a down year.
“I think we’re just excited to just come out and kind of prove people wrong. Talking about it, we’re not — I don’t think we’re as far off as we maybe thought we were.”
The 26-year-old homegrown talent is viewing this season as a blank slate after an odd 2022, during which the Giants finished .500 for the first time in franchise history and third place in the NL West.
“We won 107, right, in 2021, and last year was just — I think it was more just some other things that played into it,” Webb said. “You lose some guys and we had some injuries last year, and we’ve just got to get back to playing good baseball and doing the little things right.
“I think sometimes, we got away from that last year and maybe a little complacent, but I’m excited. The guys are excited.”
With free-agent additions like outfielders Mitch Haniger and Michael Conforto, along with returnees Joc Pederson, Wilmer Flores, JD Davis and Mike Yastrzemski, to name a few, Webb foresees a 2023 San Francisco team that offers plenty of powerful potential. And while injuries in spring training have held some, like Haniger, back, the hope is that the team will be pretty healthy at or shortly after the start of the season.
“I know we’ve got some little nagging stuff for some of the guys right now, but I think everyone’s going to be healthy come March 30, so I’m excited,” Webb said. “We’ve got a great group of guys, and there’s some hitters that I think are going to have monster years. Finally healthy again, Conforto, Haniger and some of those guys … It’s going to be awesome.”
RELATED: Why Webb is ‘super excited’ Jimmy G is Raiders new QB
Webb will take the mound against the New York Yankees on March 30 at Yankee Stadium to face Aaron Judge, the one who got away from the Giants in free agency this offseason.
But based on his excitement for the months ahead, Webb is more than happy with the group the Giants put together this season.
Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast