Madison Bumgarner Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports

Former Giants star could get fourth World Series ring if Diamondbacks beat Rangers

Madison Bumgarner hasn't pitched for the Arizona Diamondbacks since the club released him at the end of April, but the veteran left-hander could still end up adding to his trophy case. Should the D-backs defeat the Texas Rangers and win the World Series, Bumgarner would receive his fourth championship ring. 

Bumgarner's name was synonymous with winning during his tenure with the San Francisco Giants. The 6-foot-4 southpaw won 119 games over his 11 seasons in San Francisco and a pair of Silver Slugger Awards, and he finished in the top 10 in Cy Young voting four times. Most notably, he stepped up when the games counted the most. 

The Giants made three trips to the World Series with Bumgarner in their rotation, winning all three times, and he was vital to each victory, posting a 4-0 record and a minuscule 0.25 ERA over 36 innings of work in the World Series. He was named MVP of the 2014 Fall Classic against the Kansas City Royals after starting both Games 1 and 5 before coming in to pitch five innings of relief in Game 7. 

Following the 2019 season, Bumgarner reached free agency, and the D-backs stepped in, bringing him to the desert on a five-year, $85 million deal. The expectation was that he would help lead Arizona back to the postseason. 

The results weren't there, and Bumgarner's tenure with Arizona was a major disappointment. Over four seasons, he posted a 15-32 record and 5.23 ERA, almost two full runs worse than his career ERA. Arizona gave him just four starts this season before releasing the 34-year-old. 

Bumgarner's career is likely over — he didn't sign anywhere following his release, and there were no indications of a return on his part — but there may be one more accolade to collect before the Hall of Fame consideration begins. 

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