The local boy, Joe Panik, had the chance to play in his home state after Robinson Cano got injured late in the season. He moved from the San Francisco Giants to the New York Mets and made the transition look easy. Panik provided the stability the Mets were searching for while Cano was out.
Joe Panik putting in work on Labor Day. ? pic.twitter.com/l81LiKQCmU
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 2, 2019
He made his was to the Mets on August 9, after he was released by the Giants. Panik played in just 39 games with the Mets but was key part of the Mets late season run. He hit .277 with two home runs and 12 RBIs in 94 at-bats during his time as a Met. Whether it was stability with his glove or the Mets needed a bat off the bench, Panik embraced his new role with the Mets.
Panik’s Future
Panik was anchored at second base for the Giants since the 2015 season. His production declined over the last couple of seasons which led to his eventual release by the Giants. It seems unlikely he will end up with the Mets again due to their abundance of infielders along with other franchises potentially offering Panik a starting role.
JOE PANIK GIVES THE METS THE LEAD ? pic.twitter.com/LQRnXwnclf
— SNY (@SNYtv) September 29, 2019
Grades:
Hitting for Contact: C+, only had nine strikeouts and was a good bat to keep in the lineup
Hitting for Power: D, Never has been much of a power threat anyway
Fielding: B-, Sabermetrics rank him as average, but to the eye it did not seem like it
Baserunning/Speed: C, not too much info to work with here. Did not attempt a stolen base, but made a couple good base running decisions.
Intangibles: A, World Series champ had a good influence on the club while he was here
Overall: C, He was not bad, but was not amazing either. He had a role to fill and he did a great job taking over second base while Cano was on the shelf. Panik should be able to land a big league job with another team in the offseason.