Logan Webb has earned well-deserved recognition after finishing third in the National League Cy Young voting, solidifying his status as one of the top pitchers this season. As the competition heats up in 2025, Webb is positioning himself as a major contender alongside frontrunner Paul Skenes and Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sánchez on the WAR leaderboard.

While Skenes, known for his power and reputation from his high school days, remains the favorite, Webb’s consistent performance keeps him firmly in the conversation. Despite Skenes pitching for a struggling Pirates team, his dominance has only increased his prestige. Webb, meanwhile, continues to impress with steady excellence, quietly building a case for his candidacy.

Webb’s Consistent Excellence Over Multiple Seasons

In his fifth consecutive year posting a WAR over 4.1, Webb has been unexpectedly durable and effective. His most recent start featured seven scoreless innings, with seven strikeouts, three hits allowed, and no walks, bringing him to 4.3 WAR in 26 starts—currently tied for the league lead. With the most innings pitched in baseball at 160 2/3, Webb is on track to potentially reach a career-best 5.5 WAR if he maintains this pace for seven more starts.

Unlike many modern pitchers who rely on high velocity and highlight-reel strikeouts, Webb operates as a dependable sinkerballer. His approach stands apart from more ostentatious pitchers like Skenes, Spencer Strider, or Jacob Misiorowski, who often gain attention for blistering fastballs and flashy highlights. Webb’s strength lies in his unyielding consistency and workhorse mentality, demonstrated by a streak of 52 consecutive starts pitching at least four innings and deep outings where he regularly passes six innings.

The Quiet Role of the Giants and Webb’s Spotlight Moments

Webb’s lack of widespread notoriety is partially due to the San Francisco Giants’ position this season. The team hasn’t been poor enough to cast Webb as an outstanding star among struggling peers, nor strong enough for postseason exposure to elevate his profile. His only previous playoff appearance was in 2021, his first full major league season, where he delivered one of the most commanding postseason pitching performances of the decade against the Dodgers.

In that series, Webb allowed just one run over 14 2/3 innings, with that lone run coming on a barely reached bloop double by Corey Seager, highlighting his ability to dominate elite lineups. Since then, the core elements of Webb’s pitching—primarily his sinker, changeup, and sweeping breaking ball—have remained consistent pillars of his success.

Why Webb’s Pitch Arsenal Makes Him a Groundball Specialist

Webb’s strengths lie in inducing groundballs, aided by his highly effective sinker and changeup. Baseball Savant data ranks Webb 15th among pitchers allowing the lowest percentage of “topped” batted balls since 2021 and 11th in groundball rate. His sinker and changeup both register in the 96th percentile for lowest average launch angle, meaning hitters tend to hit the ball sharply downward, often resulting in easy outs.

This style emphasizes control and generating weak contact rather than overpowering hitters. Despite adjustments to his pitch mix this year, Webb still relies heavily on these two pitches, reinforcing his identity as a pitcher who fosters defense-friendly outcomes rather than strikeouts alone.

Adjustments to Webb’s Approach Against Left-Handed Batters

In 2025, Webb has experimented by increasing the use of cutters and sweeping sliders against left-handed hitters, a departure from the more traditional usage of these glove-side movement pitches against same-handed batters. His cutter usage against lefties rose from 5.0% in 2024 to 13.5% this year, and his sweeper usage jumped from 15.4% to 24.3%. This strategy defies conventional wisdom but reflects attempts to refine his effectiveness versus left-handed opponents.

Along with throwing more pitches in the strike zone to lefties, Webb has reduced his walk rate to left-handed batters from 8.3% in 2024 to 5.2% in 2025, nearly on par with the 5.3% walk rate he allows right-handed hitters. However, this adjustment has come with a downside: lefties are hitting well against his cutter and sweeper, posting batting averages of .315 and .474 and slugging percentages of .456 and .684, respectively.

Balancing Increased Strikeouts and Exposure to Left-Handed Hitters

Interestingly, Webb’s tweaks have boosted his overall strikeout rate from 20.5% last year to 26.3% this season, highlighted by a significant rise in whiffs against right-handed hitters on his changeup. The drop in walk rate to 5.3% ranks among the best in baseball, contributing to a low FIP of 2.56—third-best among qualified starters behind Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes.

Despite his increased strikeout ability, these gains come predominantly against righties, due to subtle changes in the changeup’s movement that have made it more effective as a chase pitch. The whiff rate on the changeup versus right-handed batters rose from 18.5% in 2024 to 38.5% in 2025, turning a previously less dominant pitch into a lethal weapon.

Conversely, forcing lefties to face his cutter and sweeper more regularly has left Webb more vulnerable on that side of the plate, contributing to a .287 batting average allowed to left-handed hitters overall this season. This suggests that despite the holistic improvement in outcomes, some of the pitch deployment changes may be counterproductive.

Webb’s Unyielding Quality Amidst Pitching Experimentation

Regardless of the mixed signals from his recent pitch mix adjustments, Logan Webb’s 2025 performance stands as one of the best and most consistent in the National League. His durability and ability to maintain elite level pitching while exploring new strategies demonstrate his willingness to evolve and refine his game.

At the current pace, Webb ranks in the top three in the NL in WAR, a testament to the strong foundation of his sinker/changeup combination. Even with some struggles against left-handers, his overall effectiveness remains elite and marks him as a true ace.

The Path Forward: Refining Webb’s Unique Style

Looking ahead, Webb faces two likely scenarios: either he will find a way to make the increased usage of his opposite-side breaking balls effective, or he will return to relying more heavily on the traditional changeup approach against lefties. Both possibilities promise to unlock further potential, potentially elevating Webb to an even higher tier among the league’s best pitchers.

Webb’s journey challenges the typical mold of a Cy Young contender. Though lacking the flash and velocity of some rivals, his relentless dependability along with steady improvements could redefine what it means to be an elite starting pitcher. As the season progresses, all eyes will remain on Webb to see if his quiet but dominant rise culminates in top honors.