Giants: Second-half stats back up Gabe Kapler’s pitcher choices for NLDS

The San Francisco Giants will start Logan Webb over Kevin Gausman in Game 1 of the NLDS. Second-half stats absolutely back up that choice.

The Giants don’t need to know their NLDS opponent. They already know who will start on the mound in their first two games.

Manager Gabe Kapler will send out Logan Webb for Game 1, changing up the normal pitching rotation with Kevin Gausman starting Game 2.

Logan Webb earned his NLDS start over Kevin Gausman

Why Webb over Gausman? Even though Gausman has the better numbers across the full season, Webb has been the better pitcher over the second half of the season.

Essentially, Kapler is putting his best foot forward by going with the hot hand.

The numbers prove he’s right to do so.

Here are Gausman’s stats between the first and second half of the season:

1st half: 18 GS, 14 QS, 1.73 ERA, 6.37 innings per start
2nd half: 15 GS, 6 QS, 4.42 ERA, 5.15 innings per start

And here’s what Webb has been up to:

1st half: 10 GS, 4 QS, 3.63 ERA, 5.1 innings per start
2nd half: 16 GS, 11 QS, 2.71 ERA, 6.02 innings per start

It’s plain to see that Webb is the right pick to start the playoffs. Gausman has an outstanding start to the season, but he’s fallen off in his more recent starts. Webb has been excellent since the All-Star break.

The big concern is how Webb responds to his first postseason appearance. The 24-year-old has never been in this position before. His manager is giving him the chance to rise to the occasion because he earned it in the regular season.

That’s not to say Gausman is any more of a sure thing in the playoffs. He pitched for Baltimore in the 2014 playoffs and with Atlanta in 2018. However, Game 2 will also be his first career playoff start.