When he broke onto the scene in 2008 with the San Francisco Giants, you could see that Pablo Sandoval was a special hitter.
He was an MLB star from that moment until 2014 and won three World Series rings with the Giants as their third baseman.
His career, however, started a downhill pattern in 2015, when he signed a big contract with the Boston Red Sox.
He suffered injuries, he suffered slumps, but above all things, his conditioning was almost never ideal.
His weight would fluctuate and he showed no discipline or self-control.
As a result, his career started a turn for the worse in 2015 to this point, with the exception of a solid season in 2019 as a part-time player with the Giants.
We have seen this before, but this time, Sandoval appears to be serious about a comeback attempt.
Pablo Sandoval comeback season? Probably not but I’m here for it 🐼
(via thesystem8/IG) pic.twitter.com/n2Ayi9ZIUj
— Danny Vietti (@DannyVietti) February 7, 2023
He uploaded a video of himself hitting the gym.
His shape is still not ideal but it’s nice to see him committed to a return.
He is already 36 years old and the odds are against him, but it never hurts to try.
His last MLB at-bat came in 2021.
That year, he slashed a disappointing .178/.302/.342 in 86 trips to the plate.
He was out of MLB in 2022, but did play in Mexico and Puerto Rico.
In 349 plate appearances with Monclova, Tabasco (Mexico) and Santurce (Puerto Rico), Sandoval hit .269/.344/.388 with a .732 OPS.
It’s that solid, if unspectacular performance that invites us to think he should be able to score, at the very least, an invitation to spring training camp from one of the 30 teams.
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