Season review: Andrew Triggs

Next up on the list of San Francisco Giants season reviews is the man you’ve all been waiting for: right-handed reliever Andrew Triggs, a name you should get tattooed on your foot so you don’t forget it when doing “Who was on the 2020 Giants?” Sporcle quizzes.

Season stats

1 game, 0.1 innings, 0 hits, 3 walks, 0 hit by pitch, 0 strikeouts, 9.000 WHIP

81.00 ERA, 31.19 FIP, -0.2 rWAR, -0.1 fWAR

Status throughout the season

Triggs started the season at the Alternate Training Site. He was called up on Aug. 2, optioned a day later, designated for assignment on Aug. 12, and claimed off of waivers by the Boston Red Sox.

Season review

I don’t really want to judge a player for how they performed in a third of an inning, especially when it did not go well. But in Triggs’ case, it’s all we have. And while we might remember his tenure differently had the three runners he left on base — after walking the bases loaded — not all scored, thus leaving him with a comical ERA, they did score, and he does have a comical ERA, and it’s all we have.

Which means all of our anecdotes are going to seem a touch cruel, but again: it’s all we have. So let’s dive in.

Triggs allowed as many earned runs in 2020 as Conner Menez, who pitched 34 times as many innings as Triggs did. He gave up three times as many earned runs as Jarlin García, in 1/55 as many innings. He was responsible for three more runs than catcher Tyler Heineman, while recording a third as many outs.

He threw 16 pitches, and 13 of them were balls. He finishes his Giants career with as many losses as appearances as outs recorded. I am guessing that’s a franchise record, but baseball never fails to surprise, so I’m not going to look it up and risk disappointment. It’s always better to have a “probably” anecdote than have to erase the anecdote when the facts prove you wrong. We wouldn’t want that, would we.

Anyway, Triggs is a perfectly fine pitcher whose Giants stats will forever look hilarious, unless he returns to the team in the future and normalizes them.

Wouldn’t that be boring.

Role in 2021

Triggs is a free agent, and it would be a touch Giantsy if he came back to San Francisco, but I’m going to assume that won’t happen.

Grade

Only one option here.

F (for ‘funny ... until you realize the Giants might have made the postseason if not for his lone appearance’)