Ryan Webb has started fine-tuning his routine, now that he’s a weekend starter as opposed to a key component in the back end of Georgia’s bullpen. And lessons he learned watching Emerson Hancock and Cole Wilcox have become more apropos than ever.
“Emerson and Cole always had a very strict routine. They knew right down to the eating, drinking, water—they knew exactly what they were going to do every day,” Webb said. “Basically, it was just knowing their routine, then going out and doing it.”
Webb knows he couldn’t have had better role models.
Hancock and Wilcox both enjoyed stellar careers with the Bulldogs before both were high draft picks in last year’s Major League draft.
“Watching Emerson these past few years, he was extremely confident, but also very humble. I think him having that quiet confidence and going about his business was definitely an eye-opener for me,” Webb said. “I’ve always been a guy who's very brash and very emotional—and watching Emerson being very confident and calm, it's almost like maybe the team needs me to be that fiery guy. But they also kind of need me to be that calm, level-headed guy sometimes.”
Channeling his energy figures to be the biggest challenge for Webb, whose firebrand approach on the mound led to great success. That included last year’s abbreviated season that was cut short due to Covid.
In five relief appearances, Webb went 2-0 with 1.20 ERA, striking out 26 in 15 innings with one save.
Now that he’s a starter, the Baseball America preseason All-American knows he has to be able to maintain.
“It’s more that you’ve got to know when and where to do it now. I can’t lose all my energy, let’s say in the third or fourth inning of a big moment,” said Webb, who made seven starts as a true freshman. “Now, I’m going to have to go six, seven, or eight innings to give this team the best start I can possibly give them. So now it’s about maintaining my energy for 100 pitches instead of 40, 50, or 60.”
Webb is confident he'll be able to do just that.
An off-season strength program implemented by baseball strength and conditioning coach Ryan Gearhart has Webb feeling stronger than ever, which will be a benefit considering fellow starter Jonathan Cannon is likely out for the first four weeks of the season due to mononucleosis.
Along with fellow lefty C.J. Smith, Webb will be one of the key cogs in the weekend rotation, which will now need to lean on some talented freshmen to help fill the gaps. But Webb says the team can use multiple leaders.
“I wouldn’t say just on my shoulders—I’d say a lot of guys on the team have to step up, because losing a guy like (Cannon), someone who is super-talented and one of the best pitchers on our team. There will be a lot of guy who have to step up and fill different roles, because Johnny leaves a big hole in our rotation,” Webb said. “That means we’re probably going to have to have some guys step up who didn’t think they would have to step up so early, now they’re going to have to, but I think that’s going to be good and help them grow and get ready for the season.”
Georgia head coach Scott Stricklin said he believes Webb will be just the kind of leader the young group needs.
“He’s a leader on that pitching staff. Before, when you had Emerson and guys like that, that kind of led, Ryan has always been vocal but he’s been even more so,” Stricklin said. “He’s taken on a lot of leadership role in this staff and he’s always had high expectations. His expectations for himself are probably higher than other people have for him.”
Stricklin and the Bulldogs are certainly glad that he’s back for another year.
It was thought that Webb might have a choice to make between returning to Georgia and the Major Leagues. But when Webb didn’t get the news he'd hoped for in last summer’s shortened draft, the decision to return to Athens turned out to be easy.
“It was a very long day. I felt like I was going to get in a certain area. it didn’t happen, but that was a blessing in disguise because I came back, got to work with Coach (Sean) Kenny and Coach Gearhart, a whole other fall when a lot of minor league guys didn’t get a whole lot of time to play and develop,” he said. “Honestly, I gave myself the best chance to succeed down the road, just by being with strength coach who knows what he’s doing. I feel he’s one of the best strength coaches in the country. And (also) a pitching coach I feel is one of the best pitching coaches in the country.
"That was a luxury. The coaches all welcomed me back with open arms, and I feel that was the best decision I could have made.”
