San Francisco Giants: Will Madison Bumgarner Be Their Best Pitcher in 2012?

It's understandable that sometimes Madison Bumgarner gets lost in the fold in San Francisco.

Staff ace Tim Lincecum is a two-time Cy Young award winner.

Matt Cain is talked about as one of the unluckiest pitchers of all-time due to his history of low run-support.

Ryan Vogelsong emerged as an all-star this season after returning from three years in Japan last season.

And, of course, who can forget the $126 million-dollar-man, Barry Zito? 

And that's just the starting rotation.

Big personalities in the bullpen, like all-star closer Brian Wilson, push Bumgarner even further out of the spotlight. 

However, the big lefty is quietly challenging Lincecum and Cain for best pitcher honors on the Giants. At just 22 years old, he has established himself as a dominating force in the MLB, drawing comparisons to perennial Cy Young candidate Cliff Lee. 

This season, the argument for Bumgarner might run thin, as he has an unimpressive record of 10-12, albeit with a 3.37 ERA. Meanwhile, Lincecum is enjoying another stellar campaign, and Vogelsong leads the team in ERA. Next season, however, could be the coming out party for the 6'5" lefty.

Last postseason, Bumgarner showed he could handle the pressure of October. In three starts, he went 2-0 with a 2.18 ERA. 

This season, Bumgarner has had a few hiccups, including a start in June where he failed to get out of the first inning. However, he has seemingly gotten stronger as the season has progressed. He has 24 strikeouts in his last two starts, walking only three and giving up just two earned runs.

Bumgarner will look to continue his late season dominance against the Dodgers on Sunday, September 11.