San Francisco Giants' Most Valuable Player Is Hunter Pence

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San Francisco Giants' Most Valuable Player Is Hunter Pence
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Hunter Pence returned from the 15-day disabled list last night and led the San Francisco Giants to victory in his first game in over a month. Pence was battling wrist tendinitis, but he seemed to be fully recovered against the New York Mets, finishing 1-for-4 with two RBIs at the plate. He also made one of the best defensive plays of the year as the Giants beat the Mets, 3-0.

Last night was only Pence’s 19th game of the season, as he also missed the first 36 games of the year due to a fractured forearm he suffered after being hit by a pitch during spring training. When Pence has been on the field, the Giants have been a different team, making his health the most vital piece of the team’s hope to make the playoffs.

Pence is currently batting .280 with a .325 OBP, two home runs and 15 RBIs in only 19 games. Without him in the lineup, the Giants were missing a big part of their offense, as Pence is the team’s most consistent run-producer outside of Buster Posey. Scoring runs can be a weakness at times for Giants, but with Pence playing every day, the team’s offense is one of the best in the league.

There have been rumors surrounding the Giants and outfielders Cameron Maybin and Gerardo Parra when it comes to the trade deadline, but I don’t believe either player is necessary after Pence’s return. While it would be nice for the team to add another weapon offensively, it wouldn’t be worth the price the team would have to pay for either player.

While the Giants are currently only 43-42, they are only four games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West and also four games behind the Chicago Cubs for the second NL Wild Card spot. With Pence’s return, look for the team to get hot and make a strong playoff push down the stretch.

Jason Fletcher is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JasonFletcher25, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to you network on Google+.

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