Pablo Sandoval facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pablo Sandoval |
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Sandoval with the Atlanta Braves in 2021
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| Staten Island FerryHawks – No. 48 | |||
| Third baseman | |||
| Born: August 11, 1986 Puerto Cabello, Venezuela |
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| debut | |||
| August 14, 2008, for the San Francisco Giants | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2021 season) |
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| Batting average | .278 | ||
| Home runs | 153 | ||
| Runs batted in | 639 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Pablo Emilio Sandoval Reyes (born August 11, 1986) is a professional baseball player from Venezuela and the United States. He plays as a third baseman for the Staten Island FerryHawks. He used to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) for teams like the San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, and Atlanta Braves.
Pablo is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs about 268 pounds. He is known by his fun nickname, "Kung Fu Panda." He has been chosen as an All-Star twice and has won three World Series championships with the Giants. In Game 1 of the 2012 World Series, he hit three home runs! This made him only the fourth player ever to do so in a World Series game. Because of his amazing performance, he was named the World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) that year. When it's not baseball season in the US, Sandoval plays for the Navegantes del Magallanes in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League.
The San Francisco Giants signed Sandoval in 2002. He worked his way up through the minor leagues and joined the Giants in 2008. He was a great hitter, with a batting average of .345 in 41 games. He could play first base, third base, and even catcher. He became the Giants' main third baseman in 2009. In his first full season, he hit .330 with 25 home runs and 90 runs batted in (RBIs).
In 2010, Sandoval had a tougher year and was benched during the playoffs. But the Giants still won the 2010 World Series, so he got his first championship ring! He worked hard to lose weight before the 2011 season. This helped him play much better, hitting .315 with 23 home runs. Even though injuries limited him in 2012, he was still picked for his second All-Star Game. His incredible three-home run game in the 2012 World Series helped the Giants win the championship. He was named the World Series MVP. In 2013, he played in 141 games, hitting .278 with 14 home runs and 79 RBIs.
After the 2014 season, Sandoval became a free agent, meaning he could sign with any team. He joined the Red Sox but struggled there. He later returned to the Giants in 2017.
Contents
- Early Life and Baseball Dreams
- Professional Baseball Journey
- International Baseball Career
- Personal Life
- See also
Early Life and Baseball Dreams
Pablo Sandoval was born in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela. His parents are Pablo Sr. and Amelia Sandoval. Growing up, he loved baseball and looked up to players like Omar Vizquel and Andrés Galarraga. He used to practice baseball in his garage with his older brother, Michael.
Pablo was born left-handed, but he wanted to play shortstop like his hero, Omar Vizquel. So, when he was nine, he taught himself to throw with his right hand too! He can still throw with both hands, but he uses his right hand during games.
Professional Baseball Journey
Starting in the Minor Leagues
Baseball scouts noticed Sandoval in 2002 at a tournament in the Dominican Republic. A scout for the San Francisco Giants offered him a contract, and he signed. Sandoval started his professional career in 2004 as a catcher for the AZL Giants. He hit .266 that year.
In 2005, he mostly played third base for the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes. He hit .330, which was the second-best in his league. In 2006, his batting average dropped a bit to .265. He played first and third base for the Augusta GreenJackets. In 2007, he played for the San Jose Giants, hitting .287 with 11 home runs. He helped San Jose win the California League championship that season.
In 2008, he played for two minor league teams, San Jose and the Connecticut Defenders. He hit very well, with a .350 batting average, 20 home runs, and 96 RBIs overall. This great performance led to him being called up to the major leagues.
Playing for the San Francisco Giants (2008–2014)
First Steps in the Majors (2008)
Sandoval joined the Major Leagues on August 13, 2008. He played his first game the next day. He got his first hit on August 16, going 3-for-5 in a game against the Atlanta Braves. In 41 games in 2008, he hit .345 with three home runs and 24 RBIs. He played first base, third base, and catcher.
His teammate, Barry Zito, gave Sandoval the nickname "Kung Fu Panda." This happened after Sandoval scored a run by jumping over a catcher's tag in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Becoming a Star (2009)
Sandoval started the 2009 season as the Giants' main third baseman. He also sometimes caught for pitcher Barry Zito. After an elbow injury, he stopped playing catcher and focused on third base. He quickly became a fan favorite.
Sandoval was known for swinging at almost every pitch. His hitting coach told him to be more patient, but Sandoval just said, "See ball, swing." In July 2009, fans voted for him to be in the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, but he just missed out.
On July 6, Sandoval hit his first career grand slam (a home run with the bases loaded). On July 30, he hit his first home run into McCovey Cove, a special part of the bay next to the Giants' stadium. This was on the 50th anniversary of Willie McCovey's MLB debut, and McCovey was there! Sandoval set a team record for most hits by a switch-hitter in a single season with 189.
He finished the 2009 season with 25 home runs and 90 RBIs in 153 games. His .330 batting average was the second-highest in the National League.
A Tougher Season (2010)
The Giants wanted Sandoval to lose weight before the 2010 season. He struggled that year, and his batting average dropped. He finished the season hitting .268 with 13 home runs and 63 RBIs. Because he was not playing as well, he was benched during the playoffs. However, the Giants won the 2010 World Series, and Sandoval earned his first championship ring.
Bouncing Back (2011)
Before 2011, the Giants started "Operation Panda" to help Sandoval get in better shape. He lost over 30 pounds, and it made a big difference! He started the season well but broke a bone in his hand in April, missing 41 games. When he returned, he had a 22-game hitting streak.
On July 10, 2011, Sandoval was chosen for the National League All-Star team. He was the first Giants position player to be an All-Star since Barry Bonds in 2007. In his first All-Star at-bat, he hit a double that helped the NL win the game.
On September 15, 2011, Sandoval achieved a rare feat: he hit for the cycle. This means he hit a single, a double, a triple, and a home run all in the same game! He finished 2011 with a .315 batting average, 23 home runs, and 70 RBIs.
World Series Hero (2012)
On April 26, 2012, Sandoval set a Giants record by getting a hit in his 19th straight game to start the season. In May, he broke another bone in his hand, which kept him out until June. On July 1, 2012, he was chosen as the starting third baseman for his second All-Star team. In the All-Star game, he hit the first bases-loaded triple in the history of the event!
On October 24, 2012, in Game 1 of the 2012 World Series, Sandoval made history. He hit three home runs, two of them off famous pitcher Justin Verlander. He became only the fourth player ever to hit three home runs in a World Series game. He was also the first to hit them in his first three times at bat. The Giants swept the Detroit Tigers to win the World Series. Sandoval was named the World Series MVP for his amazing performance. He set a new Giants playoff record with 24 hits, including six home runs.
Continuing Success (2013)
On April 30, 2013, Sandoval hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning to give the Giants a 2–1 win. He had a great April, tying for the most hits in the National League. In May, he hit another game-winning home run while battling the flu. He was on the disabled list for a short time in June due to a foot injury. On September 4, he hit three home runs in a game against the Padres. This made him one of only a few players to have three-homer games in both the regular season and the playoffs. In 2013, he played in 141 games, hitting .278 with 14 home runs and 79 RBIs.
Another Championship (2014)
Sandoval worked on losing weight again before the 2014 season. He started slowly but then began hitting very well. In the 2014 NLDS playoffs, he extended his National League postseason hitting record to 13 consecutive games.
In Game 7 of the 2014 World Series, Sandoval got his 26th hit of the postseason. This set a new record for most hits in a single postseason. He also caught the final out of the game, a pop-up foul ball, to win the World Series championship for the San Francisco Giants! This was the Giants' third World Series win in five seasons. After the season, Sandoval became a free agent.
Time with the Boston Red Sox (2015–2017)
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On November 24, 2014, Sandoval signed a five-year contract with the Boston Red Sox. He said he wanted a "new challenge."
In 2015, Sandoval played in 126 games but had career lows in batting average (.245), home runs (10), and RBIs (47). He swung at many pitches outside the strike zone.
In January 2016, Sandoval changed agents. He struggled in spring training and lost his starting third base job. On April 13, he was placed on the disabled list with a shoulder injury. On May 3, he had surgery on his left shoulder, which ended his season. He worked on improving his fitness, losing 15 pounds by August. He only had six at-bats in 2016 due to the injury.
In 2017, Sandoval won the starting third base job in spring training. However, he continued to struggle, hitting only .212. He was placed on the disabled list in June with an inner ear infection. The Red Sox released him on July 19.
Return to the Giants (2017–2020)
Back in San Francisco (2017)
On July 22, 2017, the Giants signed Sandoval to a minor league contract. After playing a few games in the minor leagues, he was called back up to San Francisco on August 5. In 47 games with the Giants in 2017, he hit .225 with five home runs and 20 RBIs. He played both third base and first base.
A New Role (2018)
The Giants kept Sandoval for the 2018 season. He had a strong spring training and made the opening day roster as a bench player. On April 28, Sandoval even pitched in a game for the first time! He pitched a perfect ninth inning, getting three outs with slow curveballs. In 92 games, he hit .248 with 9 home runs and 40 RBIs.
Pinch-Hit King (2019)
Sandoval played in over 100 games for the Giants in 2019, playing third base and first base. He also pitched in one game again. He led all of Major League Baseball with 18 pinch hits (hits when he came into the game to bat for someone else). He had elbow problems and had surgery in September. He hit .268 with 14 home runs and 41 RBIs. He also stole his first base since 2012!
Final Giants Stint (2020)
On January 31, 2020, Sandoval signed a minor league contract with the Giants. He made the team's Opening Day roster. On September 10, the Giants released him. In 2020, he hit .220 with one home run and 6 RBIs in 90 times at bat.
Atlanta Braves (2020–2021)
On September 14, 2020, Sandoval signed with the Atlanta Braves. He joined their main roster on September 27. In the 2020 regular season, he had two times at bat. He made a pinch-hit appearance in the playoffs during the 2020 National League Championship Series.
On January 24, 2021, Sandoval re-signed with the Braves. He hit two home runs in his first three times at bat in 2021, including a game-winning home run on April 7. On July 30, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians but was immediately released. In 2021, he hit .178. He was one of the slowest players in the league that year. Even though he wasn't on the team for the playoffs, Sandoval received a ring from the Braves after they won the 2021 World Series. This was his fourth World Series ring!
Playing in Other Leagues
On February 7, 2022, Sandoval signed with the Acereros de Monclova in the Mexican League. He played in 28 games, hitting .240. He then joined the Olmecas de Tabasco on May 27, 2022. In 43 games there, he hit .311 with 7 home runs. He left the team in January 2023.
On October 23, 2023, Sandoval was picked by the Abu Dhabi Falcons in the first-ever Baseball United draft. He played for the United West All-Stars in November 2023, hitting a special "moneyball" home run.
Staten Island FerryHawks
On February 17, 2024, Sandoval signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants again. He only batted left-handed during this tryout. The Giants released him on March 28.
On April 6, 2024, Sandoval signed with the Staten Island FerryHawks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. In 120 games for Staten Island, he hit .248 with 10 home runs and 79 RBIs. On September 14, Sandoval even started a game as a pitcher! He pitched 5 and 1/3 innings, giving up no runs, and earned the win. He became a free agent after the season.
On March 31, 2025, Sandoval re-signed with the Staten Island FerryHawks.
International Baseball Career
Like many Venezuelan MLB players, Sandoval plays in the Venezuelan Winter League during the offseason. He plays for the Navegantes del Magallanes. In 2013, Sandoval led his team to their first championship since 2002. He was named the MVP of the Venezuelan postseason, just three months after being named the 2012 World Series MVP. Sandoval said winning in Venezuela was very special, even if it was different from winning the World Series.
Personal Life
Sandoval's parents run an engineering company in Valencia, Venezuela. His older brother, Michael, also played baseball in the minor leagues. Pablo is a Christian and believes in working hard and taking the chances that life offers.
See also
In Spanish: Pablo Sandoval para niños
- List of Major League Baseball players from Venezuela
- List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
