San Francisco Giants: 5 Players Most Under the Microscope Entering Spring
Coming off a disappointing season in 2016, Joe Panik returning to form would be a huge boost to a Giants’ lineup that had their fair share of peaks and valleys.
In his first two seasons, Panik proved himself to be one of the game’s most promising all-around second basemen. He was a stellar defensive player that hit over .300 and rarely struck out, making him a mainstay at the top of the order early in his career. His defense isn’t a question, since he won his first career Gold Glove last season, but his bat was just not the same in 2016.
His average dropped 70 points from his career number entering the year, from .309 to .239. His on-base percentage and slugging percentage both dropped around 40 points despite a career-high 10 home runs and 50 walks.
A concussion in June certainly contributed to the down year, but his numbers weren’t up to par even before the injury. Panik lost a good chunk of playing time down the stretch, as Tomlinson began to get the starts against opposing lefties.
Contact isn’t a problem for Panik, as he had the lowest strikeout rate in the big leagues at 8.9 percent. If he can continue to make contact at that rate while making a slight adjustment to his swing that can lead to more line drives and harder hit balls, he should be fine.
If not, a guy like Tomlinson is waiting in the wings.