Pablo Sandoval is Going to Be A Hall of Famer

June 16th, 2009

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How?  How could I possibly say this about a player who’s only had 362 major league at bats?  Could the little credibility this site has be lost because of the statement above?  Maybe, but who cares?  The credibility might have been out the window when readers saw the name of this website.  I’m just one of those 42-year old bloggers who’s typing away in my mother’s basement anyway.

I can admit that I’ve been wrong plenty of times (in life, in baseball, in knowing when to say when), but one thing I can be sure of is Sandoval is going to be one of the best players in baseball for years to come.  I’ve never been more infatuated with a 22-year old Giant than I am with Sandoval.  Not Will Clark.  Not Tim Lincecum.  Not even William Van Landingham.  Is it possible I need to temper my man-crush on this kid?  Maybe, but there are too many reasons to get excited about the Big Panda’s future.

Let’s start with some of the intangibles, such as the nickname.  Whether it’s Big Panda, Kung Fu Panda, or Little Panda (as Duane Kuiper inexplicably calls him), how many 22 year olds who have only had a few months of service time are affectionately given a nickname by teammates?  The Giants players evidently saw something in this kid that they liked a lot.  And the organization did as well.  This is why he was inserted in the middle of the lineup from the time of his arrival.  Yes, the Giants lineup hasn’t been any good the last two years, but you still don’t often see a player thrown into the middle of the order immediately.  (Even the greatest catcher of all time, Matt Wieters, hit seventh upon his arrival.)   

Alright, we know Sandoval isn’t going to get in the Hall on a nickname and batting order position alone.   

One of the best things about the Big Panda is that he loves the game, respects the game, and has a better feel for the game than anyone else.  While he’s also surprisingly nimble and agile for a man his size, Giants fan can also attest to Sandoval’s smarts and heady play.  Whether he’s catching, playing third base, or first base, the Panda never misses a beat or makes a bad decision.  He may have fell down running the bases this year, but he never makes a bad play because he wasn’t paying attention or wasn’t hustling.  (He probably never even uses three negatives in a sentence like I just did, either.)  Sandoval always plays hard.  How many potential stars play hard all of the time and run out every groundball and popup?  If you’re a father, and you are trying to teach your son or daughter how to play the game the right way, all you have to do is go to AT&T Park and tell your kid to watch Sandoval the whole game.  For a fan base so desperate to find good everyday players to root for everyday, Sandoval arrived in San Francisco at the perfect time.  While there will be questions about his weight, it’s obvious that Sandoval loves the game too much to let his weight become an issue.     

Obviously, Sandoval isn’t going to get in to Cooperstown for just smarts, hustle, and love of the game. 

The bottom line is that Sandoval is going to have to become an awesome hitter if he’s ever going to be Hall-worthy.  The critics say he’s too aggressive to be an outstanding hitter.  (Only 16 walks in 387 career plate appearances.)  The problem with that analysis is that Sandoval, even if he’s swinging at pitches out of the strike zone, still manages to hit the ball hard a very high percentage of the time.  That’s why Sandoval has such a high batting average on balls put in play (.367 last year, .362 this year)                     

Don’t you think the book would be out on a guy who is the Giants best hitter?  The problem is there is no book.  “Don’t give him anything to hit” sounds like an easy strategy, but it hasn’t worked to this point.  He’s not just hitting mistakes, so we’re not talking about Jeff Francouer here.  Last night, the Big Panda hit two home runs the other way, and the second one was only a few inches from the dirt… yet he still crushed it!  Last week, A.J. Hinch suggested to the media that the Diamondbacks try throwing him something down the middle because he was hitting everything else.      

I will concede that Sandoval needs to hit for more power, but a slugging percentage over .500 isn’t bad for a guy who is still learning major league pitching and has little protection in the lineup.  The distance of his home runs suggest the power is there and it will increase as he gets a better understanding of the strike zone.  He will continue to improve because he is a smart player.  This happens with many Latin players who go on to have fine major league careers.  Just as an example, Sammy Sosa didn’t take many pitches early in his career, but later on, drew a ton of walks.  It hasn’t been a dramatic difference, but Sandoval has shown some improved patience at the plate this season.  It’s enough where we can tell that he is improving.   

As an improving 22-year old who already has an OPS over .900, the Big Panda is already one of the top hitters in the National League.  At his age, we can be sure the best years of Sandoval’s career are going to carry even more impressive numbers.  Right now, he’s the best hitter on a pretty good team.  Down the road, he’ll be an MVP on a championship team.  Perhaps almost as important, Sandoval has fun and plays the game the right way.  He’s everything that a San Francisco Giant fan should want in a ballplayer.  Enjoy every minute of the Big Panda.  We won’t ever see another one like him.  A unique player who is only embarking on the beginning of a journey that will one day lead to baseball’s elite.        

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