Logan Webb took the field for a recent workout in an orange T-shirt, which made him stand out from the dozens of others wearing black as the Giants practiced throwing to bases and getting out of rundowns.
Webb looked like a starting quarterback wearing a different jersey than the rest of his teammates during practice, and the timing was appropriate. Earlier that day, manager Gabe Kapler said he wasn't quite ready to name his Opening Day starter, but added "I don't think this is a huge mystery."
On Tuesday, the Giants finally made it official.
As everyone in camp knew when players arrived, Webb will start on March 30 against the New York Yankees. It will be the second consecutive Opening Day assignment for the homegrown ace, and it should be pretty memorable. Webb will go up against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, one of the game's best pitchers and the brother in-law-of Brandon Crawford, one of Webb's closest friends on the team.
The powerful opposing lineup will be led by Aaron Judge, who passed on offers from the Giants and San Diego Padres to return to New York, where he set the American League home run record in 2022 en route to the MVP award. The Giants chased Judge early in the offseason, and Webb was part of the recruiting pitch when Judge visited Oracle Park for a tour and private dinner in November. Webb said he enjoyed the experience and hopes the two can remain in touch.
"I personally thought we had a pretty good shot, but that's how things go," Webb said at FanFest. "I think we had an outside chance to start with, I get that. But there were some times during the offseason where I really did think we were going to get him. It was tough, for sure."
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Webb will become the first Giants right-hander since Tim Lincecum to make back-to-back Opening Day starts. The Giants open their season with three games at Yankee Stadium and then three against the Chicago White Sox. They'll return to Oracle Park on April 7 for the home opener.
