San Francisco Giants & the Week That Was: Opening Week
Hitter of the Week: Angel Pagan
It’s amazing what a set of healthy knees can do for a guy. Angel Pagan looked an awful lot like the 2012 version of himself in the season’s opening week, showing off some speed and a good amount of pop in his bat.
Pagan started all seven games in left field, and mostly hit ninth in the order to create a double leadoff hitter situation with Denard Span as the pitcher moved up to eighth. In 25 at-bats, Pagan collected eight hits, including a team-leading five extra-base hits, drove in three runs, and scored eight times, tying him for second-most in baseball. After waiting until his 442nd plate appearance last season to hit his first home run, he went deep in his 25th this year.
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Also, Pagan has looked fantastic in left field, showing off the center fielder’s range that he’s exhibited during his few-and-far-between healthy periods in the last couple seasons.
Having a healthy Pagan hitting ninth in the lineup makes the Giants’ order that much more dynamic. It certainly paid off in the first week.
A lot of honorable mentions can be handed out, including to Buster Posey (.391/.444/.696, two home runs, five RBI) and Brandon Belt (three doubles, one home run, four RBI, six walks, and just three strikeouts in 30 plate appearances). Also, a little shoutout to Ehire Adrianza, the controversial (among fans, at least) 25th man on the roster that took Clayton Kershaw deep for his second career home run on Saturday.
Next: Pitcher of the Week