Hunter Pence a Consistantly Solid Producer

As many fans saw Hunter Pence struggle with breaking balls out of the zone throughout the postseason, it became easy to forget what an asset he could be for the Giants going forward. While his swing is nothing short of ugly, his results are very solid. Throughout his career he has proven to be a reliable run producer and a solid defender. Nothing he does is pretty but his end results have always been strong. He is under the Giants control for next year and will get at least one full season in right field. I would actually like to see him out there for four to five years. Fans just need to forget about the hacks they saw him take in the postseason and look at his career numbers.

He is a lifetime 290 hitter with runners in scoring position who's rbi total has gone up in each of the past three seasons. His homerun total has been very consistent, over the last five years he has hit 25, 25, 22, and 24. Despite what we saw in the playoffs, he can hit for a solid average as well. His career average is 285. The only alarming thing his numbers show is an increasing strike out rate since he left Houston. If he can get that down from last year's 145 to around his career norm of just under 120 then he should be able to give the Giants an average in the 280's.

His value, aside from his bat, is almost immeasurable. We all know about his postseason speeches that became routine. The leadership and energy that he provides every day, whether he is hitting or not, is not something to take for granted. He hustles on defense and makes plays that most would not even attempt. While he may not be the consistent protection that the Giants need behind Posey he is  certainly a threat. He only hit 219 after he came over from Philly last year but he still had 45 rbi in 59 games. I just hope fans temper their expectations and enjoy the hustle.