San Francisco Giants: 3 players who surprised the most in the first half

2. 3B/1B Pablo Sandoval

When Pablo Sandoval returned to the Giants nearly two years ago to the day, not much was expected of the former World Series MVP. His best days were clearly far behind him and the player that resided in Boston was a shallow representation of the great player that he formerly was.

And for the past year and a half prior to this season, Sandoval was what he was supposed to be. A role player.

But something has clearly changed this season as “the Panda” is hitting a comfortable .287 with 33 RBI and 11 home runs on the year. Sandoval is currently leading the team in batting average — among qualifiers — and is top-three in both RBI and home runs.

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And yes, this is all happening in the year 2019.

Even for a Giants roster stuck on the feeling of nostalgia, this is something truly extraordinary.

He’s even outperformed expectations in the field as well with his range factor at first base above league average and three defensive runs saved to his name at both corners of the infield.

Sandoval’s 2019 success has even been enough to include his name in trade talks with the Giants still focused on selling.

For a Giants team still rostering many of the same stars that made up their core of the early-to-mid 2010s, little expected Sandoval to be the one performing the best in 2019.

Yet here we are. What a reality we’re living in.