San Francisco Giants: World Series Position-by-Position Breakdown
Starting Pitcher
Oct 16, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner (40) throws against the St. Louis Cardinals during the fifth inning of game five of the 2014 NLCS playoff at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Starting pitchers have not yet been fully announced, so these are just guesses.
Madison Bumgarner vs. James Shields
Madison Bumgarner has proven time and time again that he shows up when it matters most. At just 25 years old, Bumgarner is 5-3 with a 2.67 ERA and 60 K’s in his career in the postseason. Shields has struggled this October, as he sports a 5.63 ERA in three starts, despite his 1-0 record. However, he is called “Big Game” James for a reason. Don’t overlook him. The advantage will go to the NLCS MVP MadBum.
Jake Peavy vs. Yordano Ventura
Ventura is just a rookie, while Peavy has been here before, having pitched in the 2013 World Series with the Boston Red Sox. While his numbers weren’t great last year, he has been very good this year with a 1.86 ERA in two starts. Ventura’s ERA sits at 4.85 in 13 innings, but his stuff is electric. This is another close call, but Peavy’s experience, craftiness and fire edges Ventura’s nasty stuff.
Hudson waited a long time to get here, but he’s not happy with just being here. He wants to win it all. He’s pitched well in the playoffs (3.29 ERA in two starts) after struggling down the stretch. Vargas’ two starts have been great, as he has a 2.38 ERA to show for his efforts. He has a great advantage in the fact that the Giants struggle mightily to hit left-handed pitchers. This matchup goes to Kansas City.
Ryan Vogelsong vs. Jeremy Guthrie
These two are very similar. Both are crafty vets in their late 30’s who rely on location and off-speed pitches to keep opposing hitters off balance. Vogelsong had one strong outing against the Washington Nationals (5.2 IP, one run) and one rough start against the Cards (3.0 IP, four runs). Guthrie has started one game, and he gave up one run in five innings. Let’s call this one a wash.