Pablo Sandoval Still Smiling, Swinging

SAN FRANCISCO -- Tim Lincecum and Pablo Sandoval are a perfect 10 for the Giants.

Stand the slender Lincecum next to the panda-shaped Sandoval, and they actually resemble the number 10. More than that, though, they are the perfect duo to lead the Giants because of the characterstics they share.

They succeed at their craft in a way you wouldn't teach, one with an unorthodox delivery and the other with a swing-at-everything approach. They also combine on-field success with an easygoing, just-have-fun attitude that trickles throughout the clubhouse.

"Pablo has a mindset that is contagious around here, as does Timmy on the pitchers' side," Barry Zito told FanHouse. "'I'm a superstar caliber player and I'm just having a great time doing what I love.' That's a balance that's tough to strike."

Lincecum and Sandoval have propelled the Giants into a share of the wild-card lead entering the final month of the season.

By now, there is no doubt that Lincecum is legit. He won the Cy Young last year and he's on the short list for the award this year.

Sandoval, however, just passed the one-year anniversary of his big-league debut a couple weeks ago. He's had to prove that last year's six-week stint in the majors was not just a fluke.

"I can't believe the league still pitches him the way it does, knowing that he'll swing at whatever you throw up there."
-- A scout on Pablo Sandoval "Everyone thought he was great, but there was a question of whether he could do it consistently over the course of a season," Giants infielder Rich Aurilia said. "To this point, he has. I'm sure he'll be considered an MVP candidate. I'm not saying he's going to win. Pujols will probably win it, but he'll be up there. He's pretty much been our guy all year."

Sandoval is hitting .333 with 21 homers and 75 RBI, leading the Giants in all three categories. The 23-year-old third baseman is likely to be the first Giants player under 25 to hit .300 with 20 homers since Will Clark in 1987.

The Giants aren't exactly known for their ability to produce good young position players. They've had a handful of players look good for a short time, but inevitably they would flame out.

Not Sandoval.

"He's been everything we could have asked for and more," Randy Winn said. "He's played really good third base, showed he can hit in the middle of the lineup, hit for average, hit for power. And he's still improving."

At first glance, Sandoval still has no discipline at the plate. He's succeeded because of the rare ability to put the barrel of the bat on the ball, no matter where it's pitched. Even hitting coach Carney Lansford described Sandoval's approach as "see ball, hit ball. ... You can't change that guy. I wouldn't want to."

According to FanGraphs, Sandoval has swung at 43.6 percent of pitches outside the zone, compared with 53.8 percent last year. The mere fact that he was intentionally walked this week shows that opponents are now realizing that you can't always pitch around him by throwing pitches in the dirt and waiting for him to chase them.

"I am more disciplined," Sandoval said. "After five months of the season, you see how they are trying to throw you, you have to be more patient."

A National League scout who has seen lots of Sandoval since last season said that he'll still have more adjusting to do.

"I can't believe the league still pitches him the way it does, knowing that he'll swing at whatever you throw up there," the scout said. "I think they'll start to take more notice. They aren't just going to keep letting him do what he's doing."

The other adjustment Sandoval is trying to make involves his body. He said he weighs 250 pounds, same as he did in spring training. That's about 20 more pounds than the Giants would like him to weigh, so they are having him do 20 minutes of cardio workouts every day. Sandoval admits that he needs to lose some weight.

Otherwise, the Giants want him to just keep doing what he's doing. Keep playing a solid third base. Keep swinging. Keep smiling.

"I haven't changed anything," he said of his demeanor. "I'm just trying to have fun. Everyone sees the pressure of the pennat race, but I'm just trying to have fun."