Joe Panik

SFG: San Francisco Giants’ Homegrown Infield Set to Break Out in 2016
Jun 6, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford (35) and second baseman Joe Panik (12) congratulate each other on a victory against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Giants won 7-5. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Jun 6, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford (35) and second baseman Joe Panik (12) congratulate each other on a victory against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Giants won 7-5. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

With improved starting pitching and more speed and depth in the outfield, the San Francisco Giants sure look set to re-create some of that even-year magic this season.

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SFG: Joe Panik’s Spring Struggles Are No Reason to Panic
Mar 25, 2015; Salt River Pima-Maricopa, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants second baseman Joe Panik (12) at bat in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Mar 25, 2015; Salt River Pima-Maricopa, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants second baseman Joe Panik (12) at bat in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Don’t panic, San Francisco Giants fans. Joe Panik will be just fine.

Even though the Giants’ young second baseman is hitting just .160 so far in Spring Training, Panik and the Giants aren’t concerned about his slow start. Panik spoke with Andrew Baggarly of the Bay Area News Group about why he’s not worried:

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SFG: San Francisco Giants Mailbag: Bullpen, Joe Panik, Kontos or Machi
Mar 12, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey (28) signs autographs for fans prior to a game against the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Mar 12, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey (28) signs autographs for fans prior to a game against the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco Giants are getting closer and closer to the end of Spring Training and the beginning of the 2015 season. There are still position battles to be sorted out, players recovering from injuries, and other more general questions heading into the 2015 season.

In this week’s Giants Mailbag, we discuss the potential overuse of the bullpen in 2015, if Joe Panik will step up in Pablo Sandoval’s absence, and which pitcher, George Kontos or Jean Machi, will earn the final spot in the bullpen.

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SFG: Why Joe Panik Was the Missing Piece All Along
Jul 6, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants shortstop Joe Panik (12) hits an RBI double during the third inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Jul 6, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants shortstop Joe Panik (12) hits an RBI double during the third inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Entering the 2014 season, the San Francisco Giants lacked an everyday, reliable second baseman. Brandon Hicks had some success at the beginning of the season, but then he fell into and couldn’t break out of a serious offensive slump. Ehire Adrianza battled injuries, and he still hasn’t proved that he can hit at the major league level.

The Dan Uggla experiment should never have happened, and it failed miserably. Marco Scutaro came back for five games, but then went straight back to the DL.

The Giants also failed to pick up a second baseman at the trade deadline, despite being linked in a few trade rumors to Ben Zobrist, Martin Prado, Aaron Hill, and others.

The Giants were left with very few options. They had to look to their farm system for some assistance. Enter Joe Panik.

Click here to read the rest of the story at Golden Gate Sports.