San Francisco Giants 2017 Position Preview: Second Base
Another homegrown player that figures to be in the starting lineup next season will call second base his home, coming off his first Gold Glove.
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Despite some speculation that he would be wearing a different uniform come next year, Joe Panik appears to be safe and sound as the Giants’ starting second baseman next year. The trade rumors have quieted, and Panik will likely start his second consecutive opening day for the Giants.
Fresh off his first career National League Gold Glove, there should be no more questions about Panik’s defense. He made some spectacular plays in 2016, and is still as fast as there is at turning the double play at second.
His offense, however, is certainly more fair to question. Panik entered last year with a career .309 batting average, but struggled all season long to a .239 mark. A concussion in June assuredly had some impact on his performance, but he looked nothing like the normal Panik even before the ailment. But there are still reasons to be optimistic about Panik and his bat heading into 2017.
If Panik’s bat can come back to life in 2017, it will definitely help a Giants’ offense that was completely stagnant at times last year. His presence at the top of the lineup will be a big addition for the Giants. If he doesn’t get back to that level, he still brings a ton of value by being such a good defender. Either way, Panik is a darn good second baseman.
His primary backup will most likely be Kelby Tomlinson. The former 12th-round pick made his major league debut late in 2015, and has since proven to be quite the asset to the big league club. His power is extremely limited, but he has an excellent approach to all fields, and makes solid contact repeatedly. His speed is also a game-changer, as proven by an inside-the-park home run during 2015’s season finale.
When Tomlinson first debuted in 2015, his defense came into question on more than one occasion. Most notably, he broke the wrong way on what should have been an easy groundball to his left, and Jake Peavy was not happy about it. But as time has gone on, Tomlinson has made marked improvements. He especially seems stout on balls hit to his left.
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If Panik goes down for an extended period of time, second base should be in capable hands with Tomlinson. Beyond those two, there seems to be a good amount of experienced depth.
Ramiro Pena is back with the Giants on a minor league deal, and it’s understandable after Pena’s performance for the big league club in 2016. With the Giants’ infield ravaged by injuries, Pena was brought up from Triple-A and did a bang-up job filling in. Over 30 games, he hit a quite respectable .299/.330/.425 while filling in at second, third, and shortstop.
In his big league career, shortstop has been Pena’s primary position, but he has played 88 games at second base. He’s no longer on the 40-man roster, so getting him back to the big leagues would be a bit tricky, but having an experienced player like Pena in Triple-A is always a good thing.
Ehire Adrianza is also primarily a shortstop, but he has played his fair share of games at second base. He put together his best big league campaign in 2016, but missed a big chunk of time because of a fracture in his foot. Orlando Calixte, signed this winter and put on the 40-man roster, is another shortstop that can play second base.
Also filling the minor leagues are Ali Castillo, Rando Moreno, and Brandon Bednar, all of whom have plenty of experience at second base. There’s also Christian Arroyo, the Giants’ top hitting prospect. Arroyo is being groomed as the team’s third baseman of the future, but if the situation at second base were to get dire and Arroyo is having a nice minor league season, he could get the call to fill a void. That seems like a last resort type of move, though.
Next: Giants Position Preview: First Base
With Panik returning (and hopefully returning to form), the Giants seem set at this position as well. Panik is just another homegrown infielder making his mark on the Giants, and has a lot of help behind him.