San Francisco Giants Mailbag: New Players, Pence’s Injury, Spring Training
Oct 7, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants second baseman Joe Panik (12) is congratulated by first baseman Brandon Belt (left) after scoring the go-ahead run on a wild pitch against the Washington Nationals in the 7th inning during game four of the 2014 NLDS baseball playoff game at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
@MaggiePilloton Who do the #SFGiants expect/need to step up on off. for the first part of the season w/o Pence? Not just his RF replacement
— Marc Grandi (@MarcGrandi) March 18, 2015
As I discussed in my Golden State Warriors Mailbag article this week, it usually takes a team effort to make up for the production of one of the best players on a team (in any sport), and this will be the case for the Giants too. Not one player will solely make up for Pence’s production or his leadership and energy. There are several players who will need to step up, mostly offensively, to fill the void for a couple weeks with Pence out.
Bruce Bochy and Brian Sabean have both addressed the lack of power in the lineup, which they don’t think will be a major issue, as the Giants have found ways to win in recent years by utilizing “small ball” when they’re not hitting home runs. The Giants will most likely use this mentality in 2015 and especially when Pence is out.
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Although it’s unlikely and probably impossible to fully make up for the power that was lost when Sandoval and Michael Morse didn’t re-sign, both Bochy and Sabean believe that a healthy Belt will help in the power department, and they also expect Joe Panik and Brandon Crawford to increase their power numbers this year too.
Panik’s hitting approach is more to hit for average than power, but he has some pop in his bat. In addition, Crawford hit 10 home runs in 2014, which doesn’t seem that impressive, but it’s the highest home run total of his career. This could possibly suggest that he is set up to have a breakout year in 2015, at least in terms of power.
A healthy Belt is set to have a breakout season in 2015, and that will certainly help with Pence out, even if it is just for a couple weeks in the beginning of the season. Last year, Belt showed glimpses of a breakout season, but he just simply missed too much time due to injury to fully break out. His power is undeniable, and his ability to be a true middle-of-the-order threat will also help make up for Pence’s absence.
In addition, a healthy Pagan will also step up in Pence’s absence. He won’t necessarily make up for the power that Pence has, but he will certainly make up for his energy, which is an incredibly invaluable trait that both players possess. Pagan’s energy, whether he hits leadoff or further down in the lineup (possibly in the third spot), will help keep this team’s spirits high and will rejuvenate them without Pence.
Next: Is the Giants' Slow Start to Spring Concerning?