How Logan Webb Overcame Blindness for Impactful Giants Pitching Career

Ever talked to someone who has never played baseball? They’d talk about how simple everything looks and how it’s not as tough as it’s made out to be. No wonder it blows their mind when they realize the difficulty after holding a bat or stepping onto the mound. A ballplayer isn’t just born but made. With a perfect mixture of skills, intelligence, strategy, and vision someone gets to be a ballplayer. But once in a blue moon arrives someone, who turns that book upside down. Someone like Logan Webb.

What makes Webb special? Is it his wickedly varied pitching technique? Or is it his scary consistency that has seen Webb pitch over 400 innings combined in 2022-23? No, those aren’t the root cause, they are the symptoms. The real thing that separates Webb from others is his resolve, his grit, and ability to push on in the face of adversity. Oh, and he has seen big problems, life hasn’t been a bed of roses for this 27-year-old. After all, believe it or not, Webb is legally blind! So how does someone almost win the Cy Young award while battling a disability like this? 

Is Logan Webb considered legally blind? Why so?

The San Francisco Giants’ ace suffers from severe astigmatism. Basically, it’s a refractive error due to rotational asymmetry in the eye’s refractive power. In simple words – Astigmatism leads to blurred vision. It makes it difficult to see at night, causes eyestrain, and makes it difficult to perform basic motor functions like catching a ball.

So a baseball player who couldn’t catch a ball? That fundamentally goes against everything that the sport stands for. While the issue can be resolved through glasses or contact lenses, it’s still unimaginable how someone could excel in a sport that relies on vision. That’s what makes Webb’s situation so unique and also puts forth a curious question – when did he find out about this condition?

Since when did Logan Webb face this problem? Know the answer 

Webb was a typical small-town boy with a big goal. Living in Rocklin, California he had only one dream – to become a Major League Baseball player. Every moment was spent living that dream. However, things started to go a little awry during his early schooling years. Unlike his peers, Webb found it difficult to see the ball. 

So between third and fourth grade Webb had to undergo an eye test. It was then they discovered the severe astigmatism affecting him. Suddenly the child saw his dream fleeting towards the abyss. How could he be a baseball player without a good vision? Still, none in the Webb family give up. 

Till the age of 11 or 12, Webb took the support of glasses. However, those glasses made it difficult to play sports like football. So gradually he switched to lenses and began his baseball journey. Webb first showed a glimpse of his great talent during his High School Senior year. The pitcher struck out 73 hitters in 57 ⅔ innings with just a 0.49 ERA. That was the sign of things to come.

Read more: San Francisco Giants Ace Turns a Crushing Loss Into a Life Lesson Which the World Will Never Forget

How is he pitching? Know his tactics for a perfect throw with blurred vision 

Webb’s blurred vision has made it important for him to get the feel of the mound. Though contact lenses solve most of the issues, he still has worked hard on his stuff. For instance, where some pitchers might limit themselves to two or three types of pitches, Webb isn’t so predictable. A mix of sinkers, sliders, changeups, and four-seam fastballs makes it difficult for the batter to predict his next move.

That has seemingly been the strategy of Logan Webb. He’d rather see himself become a part of trials and errors than become too easy to judge. That has led the ace to perhaps his greatest strength – his endurance. It’s cliche to say that life’s struggles make someone more used to pressure but it might be the case for Webb. Apart from 2019 and 2020, Webb has always thrown above 148 innings. In fact, in 2023 he led the league with 216 innings thrown. 

According to Brooks Baseball, Webb has thrown around 10,365 pitches between 2019 to 2024. So essentially Webb beats his disadvantage by going relentlessly after his dream. Somewhere Kobe Bryant must be smiling, after all, this is classic “Mamba Mentality” (even if it’s in the Bay Area and not in LA). In an underperforming Giants’ team Webb has been the sole silver lining. So it makes it all the more interesting to see what the ace is up to in 2024.

What’s next: Logan Webb’s plan for 2024 

In a great development, Logan Webb has found a partner-in-crime in Blake Snell, the man who beat him to the Cy Young award in 2023. With the two set to dominate the Giants’ lineup, just the sheer thought of it is mouthwatering. However, in a surprising twist of fate, Webb’s Spring Training isn’t going according to plan.

With a 10.97 ERA and 29 runs in 37 hits, Webb is witnessing a nightmarish start just before the regular season. The fiercely competitive ace is visibly flustered but knows that showing frustration won’t solve the problem. Talking to The Mercury News Webb said, “It’s still not good enough, I know that. I don’t feel good about it. But I’m trusting the process and I’m hoping everyone else is trusting the process as well.” 

With hopes of ending their playoffs exile, the Giants need their ace to perform well. Only four days remain until Webb starts the Giants’ season against the San Diego Padres. However, whatever happens then one thing is certain he will find a rise through this obstacle. After all, that’s what Webb does.

Read more: San Francisco Giants Set to Challenge for Playoffs? Blake Snell and Matt Chapman Additions Awaken Postseason Hopes