“Kung Fu Panda” still has a fight left in the ballpark.
Three-time World Series champion Pablo Sandoval is a non-roster invitee to the San Francisco Giants, the team for which he won three rings during his 14-year MLB career.
And for the 37-year-old, this is no formality; he’s serious about making the team, according to NBC Sports Bay Area.
Sandoval told friends he was feeling great and was planning to return.
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Former Giants player Pablo Sandoval takes batting practice before a Colorado Rockies game on July 7, 2023 at Oracle Park in San Francisco. (Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Last season, San Fran brought in former closer Sergio Romo and gave him one last Oracle Park appearance before hanging up his cleats.
Now, this isn’t to say the Giants won’t do the same thing with Sandoval this year. They play at Oracle Park on March 26th before the regular season begins, and if Sandoval doesn’t make the roster, perhaps that time could be his own exit.
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Sandoval, who was named World Series MVP in 2012, has not played in MLB since 2021, when he was with the Atlanta Braves.
He played in 69 games that season, hitting .178/.302/.342 with four home runs and 11 RBIs in 86 at-bats. The Braves won the World Series that season as well.
Braves’ Pablo Sandoval reacts in the dugout after scoring against the New York Mets at Trust Park in Atlanta on June 30, 2021. (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Sandoval played in Mexico’s Pacific League in 2022 and also played in Puerto Rico’s Winter League this offseason. He was also selected in the first Baseball United Draft and played in a “showcase” game in November 2023.
But Sandoval wants more competitive baseball, and while making the team should be considered a distant goal, spring training is all about finding the best 26 players to finish camp. Every invite comes with an opportunity, especially those that are fan favorites and have proven to work well in the Bay Area.
In 11 seasons with San Fran, Sandoval hit .285/.337/.457 with a .794 OPS, 135 home runs, and 569 RBIs in 1,149 regular season games. His performance in the 2012 World Series – a .500 batting average, three home runs, and four RBIs – earned him World Series MVP honors at the age of 25.
Former San Francisco Giants player Pablo Sandoval takes batting practice before a game against the Colorado Rockies on July 7, 2023 at Oracle Park in San Francisco. (Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
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Sandoval also spent time with the Boston Red Sox after the 2014 season, when the Giants won the World Series.
