All-Time Top 100 Marlins: #85 Ryan Webb

Throughout the 2016-17 offseason, Fish Stripes will be recapping the Top 100 Marlins to appear with the franchise, from 1993 through today. Using the Wins Above Replacement (WAR) metric, players are sorted out according to how many wins better than an average triple-A player would hypothetically earn while with the team. The floor was set at 2.0 (Jarred Cosart, Adeiny Hechavarria, Dan Jennings), then went up through Adam Conley, Ugueth Urbina, Benito Santiago, Ronny Paulino, and Dan Haren at 2.1. We had Terry Mathews, Clay Hensley, and Bobby Bonilla at 2.2, Gaby Sanchez, Jeremy Hermida, and Lee Gardner at 2.3, followed by Derek Dietrich yesterday at 2.4. Webb also earned a 2.4 WAR while with the team.

Ryan Webb was a 6’6”, 245 lb. right-handed throwing and batting pitcher from Clearwater, Florida. Born on February 5th, 1986, he was a fourth round choice of the Oakland Athletics in 2004, 127th overall. Also drafted that round were Chris Ianetta, Brad Bergesen, Casey Janssen, and Javy Guerra.

Webb spent what was left of the 2004 campaign and the next five seasons making his way through the A’s minor league feeder system. On July 5th, 2009, Oakland traded him with a PTBNL (Sean Gallagher) and Craig Italiano to the San Diego Padres for Scott Hairston.

Webb went 5-1 at the major league level through 2009-10 for the Padres, with a 3.19 ERA, a 1.439 WHIP, and 63 whiffs in 84.2 innings pitched. Through 82 major league appearances, he never started a game and never earned a save, although he did stay at a Holiday Inn Express at some point. After the 2010 campaign, the Padres traded him with Edward Mujica to the Marlins for Cameron Maybin.

Aside from some short rehab assignments, Webb remained with the Marlins in Miami throughout his three seasons with the club. In 2011, he went 2-4 over 53 games, with a 3.20 ERA and a 3.62 FIP, which shows he benefited somewhat from stellar defense. He struck out 31 batters and put up a 1.342 WHIP in 50.2 innings, slightly over the Florida average mark of 1.304. The Marlins, a 71-91 club that season, went 17-36 with Webb pitching and 54-55 when he did not play, indicative of their tendency to use him mostly when the team was behind.

On May 25th, he earned his first win of the season by pitching the 10th and 11th inning, allowing only a single to Nate Schierholtz while holding the Giants scoreless. Emilio Bonifacio made him a winner by knocking Scott Cousins in on a sacrifice fly in the top of the 12th for a 7-6 Marlins win. His best moment with the team that season, consequent to getting used mostly when the team trailed, came in a loss. On June 18th, in a 7-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, he came on in relief of Mike Dunn with nobody out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth, induced a Ben Zobrist foul popup and a Matt Joyce lineout into a double play to end further damage to the Marlins chances at victory.

In 2012, Webb went 4-3 for the Fish, with a 4.03 ERA and a 3.26 FIP, showing he suffered due to lousy fielding. He had a 1.525 WHIP and struck out 33 in 60.1 innings over 65 games. The 69-93 Marlins went 21-44 in Webb’s games and 48-49 in his not-games.

On June 16th, Webb earned his third victory of the season when he came on in relief in the 12th inning of a 3-3 tie with the Rays to pitch three scoreless innings. Heath Bell came on in the 15th and struck out the side for his 14th save of the year.

The 2013 Marlins went 62-100, and Webb helped the team to a 13-53 record. The club was 49-47 when he didn’t play. He played in 66 games and pitched 80.1 innings, striking out 54 batters and earning a 2.91 ERA with a 3.60 FIP and a 1.207 WHIP.

Webb struck out three in two innings of work of an extra inning, 3-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on April 20th (see below). On June 23rd, in a 7-2 victory against the San Francisco Giants, Webb entered the game with runners on the corners and one out in the bottom of the seventh and a 3-2 lead, then got Jose Arias to hit into a ground ball double play to end the Giant threat. In a 6-5 Marlins win over the Giants on August 18th, he pitched a perfect sixth inning to hold a 3-2 lead.

Webb left the Marlins through free agency after the 2013 season, and signed on with the Baltimore Orioles (51 games, 3-3, 3.83 ERA, 2.95 FIP, 1.257 WHIP, 49.1 innings, 37 strikeouts). He later played at the major league level with the Cleveland Indians (40 games, 1-0, 3.20 ERA, 3.77 FIP, 1.145 WHIP, 50.2 innings, 31 strikeouts) and the Rays (18 games, 0-0, 5.19 ERA, 3.90 FIP, 1.731 WHIP, 17.1 innings, 11 strikeouts). Tampa Bay released him on July 6th, 2016, and he signed on with the Chicago White Sox. After allowing four earned runs over 2.2 innings of work, the Sox placed him on waivers on August 30th. He hasn’t signed with a new team since.

Check back tomorrow for a reliever who had a great 2009 season for the Marlins.