Examining the San Francisco Giants’ Depth Chart: Center Field
The San Francisco Giants won the 2014 World Series despite not getting much production out of the all-important leadoff position. The Giants struggled to score runs once their regular leadoff hitter went down with injuries, but found ways to score enough to bring home their third world championship in five seasons. As 2015 creeps closer and closer, the hope is for more stability and production from the number-one spot.
Starter – Angel Pagan
There’s no question that when the Crazy Horse is in the lineup, he makes this offense tick. In his 91 games as the leadoff guy, Pagan hit .304 (115-378) with three home runs, including two when he was the first batter of the game, 21 doubles and 56 runs scored. Everyone else hitting in the same slot combined to bat .226 (69-305) with 27 doubles and 40 runs scored.
There are questions, however, surrounding Pagan’s health. In 2012, when he was healthy for basically the entire season, he played 154 games, and totaled 38 doubles, a league-leading 15 triples, and scored 95 times to go with his .288 average. He was so good that year that he even garnered MVP votes.
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In 2013, Pagan was limited to just 71 games due to a torn tendon in his hamstring that eventually needed surgery. The next year, back injuries limited him to just 96 games. He did eventually return in August, but after 33 games, he was shut down for good.
Defensively, Pagan is a fantastic center fielder. The defensive metrics say he’s slightly below average, but anyone who watches Pagan knows he’s excellent. He makes great reads on flyballs, and has great closing speed to chase down those potential gappers. He doesn’t have a great arm, but it is good enough to get the job done.
One of the biggest questions for the entire Giants’ roster heading into 2015 is, “Can our Angel in the outfield stay healthy all year?” If Pagan can stay off the shelf and get back to his usual productive self, he will make the losses the Giants have suffered this offseason sting a little less.
Backup – Gregor Blanco
When Pagan went down last season, Blanco stepped in to center field and as the leadoff hitter. He was unable to match the production, but he did well enough to lead the Giants through the postseason. As the center fielder, White Shark hit .244, and that dropped to .213 as the first hitter.
With the recent signing of Nori Aoki, Blanco will most likely regain his usual spot as the fourth outfielder, and will bounce around between left and center field, because let’s face it, Hunter Pence isn’t going to take a seat.
Oct 15, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants center fielder Gregor Blanco (7) celebrates after scoring a run during the sixth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals in game four of the 2014 NLCS playoff baseball game at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Defensively, Blanco takes funky routes sometimes, but he will normally make the plays. His arm is about on the same level as Pagan’s, as it’s not anything special.
Overall, when Blanco takes the field, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Just hope it’s not a long term thing.
Added Depth – Hunter Pence, Juan Perez, Gary Brown, Nori Aoki, Daniel Carbonell
Pence played center field just once last season, in a weird game in which Brandon Belt played right field. Pence is the right fielder every day, no question, but if things get weird again, Pence could find himself in center field once more.
Perez spent a lot of late 2014 as the fourth outfielder, taking Blanco’s spot when Blanco took Pagan’s spot. But when everyone is healthy, he will most likely be bumped back to fifth outfielder. He had some huge hits in the postseason, but he as yet to prove that he is a consistent big league hitter. Defensively, he can handle the job, as he has good instincts and a great arm. He’s definitely not locked into that fifth outfielder spot, but for now, it does seem to be his job to lose.
Brown enters Spring Training 2015 with a legitimate chance to earn the fifth man job and possibly unseat the incumbent Perez. He went 3-7 in his short stint as a big leaguer, including one start in center field in game 161. 519 of his 534 career minor league appearances have come from center. If he can have a nice Spring, he might be able to make the Opening Day roster. Brown’s best asset is his speed, which is something the Giants have been lacking.
Oct. 14, 2014; Mesa, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants outfielder Daniel Carbonell plays for the Mesa Solar Sox during an Arizona Fall League game against the Scottsdale Scorpions at Salt River Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Aoki has played 21 games in center field for his career, but his defense is very questionable. If you think Blanco takes bad routes, close your eyes when a flyball heads towards Aoki. He will make most plays, but he doesn’t have a good arm. He will mostly play left field, but if things get hairy in the outfield, Aoki could slide into center.
Carbonell, a 23-year old Cuban import, got off to a blazing hot start in his professional career. In 31 games in the lower-level minor leagues, he raked .336 with four homers, six doubles and three triples. He struggled in the Arizona Fall League, hitting .190 with one long ball in 16 games. The common conception is that Carbonell is not ready yet, but if he can continue to tear through the minors, his time might come sooner rather than later.
Pagan enters 2015 as the starter, and that’s uncontested. The Giants, as well as the fans, are hoping to see the healthy, fire-starting Pagan. If he can stay intact, the Giants’ offense will be much, much better off.