San Francisco Giants: Power Ranking Their Starting Staff on 2011 Performance

An uncommonly talented and durable starting rotation propelled the 2010 San Francisco Giants to their first World Series title in 52 years by the Bay. 

With all five starters returning, more of the same was expected in 2011. While the Giants staff has had persistently poor offensive support, it has generally met those high expectations.

Through Wednesday night's game with Minnesota, its team ERA of 3.35 was third lowest in the National League. Opposing offenses were batting a meager .237. Giant starters had delivered 45 quality starts—six innings or more, three or fewer earned runs allowed—in 73 games.

There have been unexpected twists and turns. Veteran Barry Zito hasn't pitched since suffering a foot sprain in his fourth start (he may return when the Giants visit Chicago next week). Journeyman Ryan Vogelsong took Zito's spot; his stellar work has been one of the season's most remarkable stories.

Nearing the season's midpoint, we examined all five starters' work and power-ranked them. You may be surprised at the results.

No. 5: Jonathan Sanchez

By the numbers: 4-5, 3.71 ERA, 15 starts, 85 innings pitched

Inside the numbers: WHIP: 1.40. Team's record in games started: 8-7. Quality starts: 7. Wins following team losses: 2. Run support: 4.0.

Intangibles: Sanchez remains an utter mystery: He's difficult to hit yet prone to wildness (66 hits, 53 walks allowed, 86 strikeouts in 85 innings). He can be dominant in one start, utterly ineffective the next.

More vexing is that he remains vulnerable to occasional mental lapses—one of which provoked a dugout scolding between innings from manager Bruce Bochy.

Bottom line: While effective—even dominant—at times, Sanchez's maddening inconsistency this season renders him the weakest link in a solid starting rotation. On a club with uncommon bullpen depth, Sanchez could conceivably be the odd man out (left off the roster, as was Zito in 2010) if the playoffs began tomorrow.

No. 4: Madison Bumgarner

By the numbers: 3-9, 4.06 ERA, 15 starts, 84.1 innings pitched

Inside the numbers: WHIP: 1.39. Team's record in games started: 4-11. Quality starts: 11. Wins following team losses: 1. Run support: 2.6.

Intangibles: Bumgarner's latest malodorous start against the Twins—in which he surrendered base hits to the first eight hitters he faced—mars an otherwise reasonably solid body of work. He has been an innings-eater, going at least six innings in 11 of his 15 starts. 

The 21-year-old has labored under a burden of ridiculously poor run support (three or fewer runs in 10 of Bumgarner's 15 starts). His poor win-loss record is therefore somewhat deceiving.

Bottom line: On a rotation with less depth Bumgarner would be a top-three guy, his record notwithstanding. In San Francisco this season, he's been no better than fourth-best.

No. 3: Tim Lincecum

By the numbers: 5-6, 3.39 ERA, 15 starts, 98.1 innings pitched

Inside the numbers: WHIP: 1.22. Team's record in games started: 9-6. Quality starts: 11. Wins following team losses: 5. Run support: 3.7.

Intangibles: Even without his problematic June, Lincecum would have landed in this spot. He has a sub-.500 record, even though he's received nominally better run support (3.7/gm) than three of his fellow starters.

While his numbers overall are pretty solid, they haven't been Lincecum-like.

Some speculate that his complete-game shutout over Oakland on May 21—a 133-pitch effort—may have been a factor in recent poor outings. The numbers don't legitimize that theory: It's Lincecum's command, not velocity, that has compromised his effectiveness.  

Bottom line: These rankings aren't based on career numbers—only 2011. Thus far, Lincecum has been good, but not great—and not as good as Matt Cain or Ryan Vogelsong.

No. 2: Matt Cain

By the numbers: 6-4, 3.44 ERA, 15 starts, 99.1 innings pitched

Inside the numbers: WHIP: 1.14. Team's record in games started: 10-5. Quality starts: 14. Wins following team losses: 5. Run support: 3.6.

Intangibles: Cain has been...Cain. The 26-year-old is now entrenched as a top-of-rotation stalwart. He eats up quality innings and shares the team lead (with Lincecum and Vogelsong) of five wins following club losses.

Cain also has more "clutch" wins than all starters except Vogelsong. His six wins include these: at Pittsburgh on April 26 following the dreadful home sweep by Atlanta; vs. Colorado on May 6, when the Giants trailed the Rockies by three games and didn't want to slip further back; and vs. Arizona on May 12 to complete a home three-game sweep.

Bottom line: While his stats are comparable to Lincecum's, Cain ranks above the two-time Cy Young winner because of his remarkable dependability and big-game efforts. Were it not for a soon-to-be 34-year-old journeyman who may be the 2011 NL Comeback Player of the Year, he'd be the ace of this staff.

No. 1: Ryan Vogelsong

By the numbers: 5-1, 1.86 ERA, 11 starts, 72.2 innings pitched

Inside the numbers: WHIP: 1.09. Team's record in games started: 8-3. Quality starts: 8. Wins following team losses: 6. Run support: 3.2.

Intangibles: While a handful of Tim Lincecum's and Matt Cain's starts deserve to be labeled "clutch" performances, virtually every start by Ryan Vogelsong has been, as Mike Krukow would say, a pearl.

You decide which of these was bigger: a 5.2-inning, eight-strikeout performance against Pittsburgh, his former club, on April 22; 6.1 innings of one-hit ball in a win over Colorado on May 8, completing a sweep of the Rockies; six shutout innings in the rain and wind at Wrigley Field on May 14; or eight strong innings at Milwaukee following the home sweep by the Marlins that cost the club Buster Posey for the season.

Or last night's stellar seven-inning job against Minnesota, a day after the dreadful 9-2 shellacking absorbed by rotation mate Madison Bumgarner.

Bottom line: How often do 33-year-old journeymen return to the major leagues in any role, let alone as a successful starter?

How often do guys with 15 career wins and a 5.11 ERA turn themselves into the league ERA leader?

How many pitchers who've washed out of the majors (in Vogelsong's case, after flaming out with the Pirates in 2006), make such a successful comeback that they're strong candidates to make the All-Star team and a virtual lock to be named league Comeback Player of the Year?

I can think of one—Ryan Andrew Vogelsong. Without question, he's the Giants' 2011 staff ace.