San Francisco Giants: Handing Out Mid-Season Award
Jun 6, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner (40) pitches during the seventh inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Giants won 7-5. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
There were a ton of questions that surrounded Bumgarner after a long 2014 season. Would his arm hold up after throwing 260 innings combined last year? Would he be as sharp? Could he lead a pitching rotation that desperately needed a leader?
He has answered all with a resounding yes. Bumgarner has been downright dominant more often than not this year. He’s flirted with no-hitters, and even made some other history. He tied the Giants’ franchise record earlier in the year for most strikeouts in a game by a left-handed pitcher with 14, and recorded his 1,000th career strikeout.
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Bumgarner is tied for the team’s lead with eight wins, and leads starters with a 2.99 ERA, a 1.04 WHIP, and 110 strikeouts. He is also surrendering walks at a career-low rate, at just 1.7 per nine innings, and he is striking out 5.5 batter for every walk, also a career-high.
It’s not much of a surprise that this big, burly, country boy is the Giants’ best starting pitcher yet again. But at just 25 years old, there is still room for him to get better, which is a very scary thought. If he does continue his ascension, he could be named the National League Cy Young winner, not just the Giants’.
An honorable mention for this award should go to George Kontos, who has had a tremendous season out of the bullpen. He leads Giants’ relievers with 39.2 innings, a 1.59 ERA, and a .807 WHIP, and his 1.1 walks per nine innings are the best of the entire staff. He has also inherited 20 runners this season, and has not allowed a single one to score. He has become a great weapon out of the Giants’ bullpen.
Next: Rookie of the Year