Joe Panik
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Joseph Matthew Panik (born October 30, 1990) is an American former
professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professional ...
second baseman. He played in
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB) for the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...
,
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
,
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
, and Miami Marlins. Panik was an All-Star in 2015 and won a Gold Glove Award in 2016.


Early life

Panik was born in
Yonkers, New York Yonkers () is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. Developed along the Hudson River, it is the third most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City and Buffalo. The population of Yonkers was 211,569 as en ...
, to Paul and Natalie Panik. The family lived in
East Fishkill East Fishkill is a Town (New York), town on the southern border of Dutchess County, New York, Dutchess County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 29,707 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The town was once the ...
during his formative years. He attended John Jay High School in Hopewell Junction.


College career

He attended St. John's University, where he played
college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional p ...
for the St. John's Red Storm, competing in the
Big East Conference The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and ...
. After his sophomore season in 2010, Panik played collegiate summer baseball for the
Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox The Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox, or Y-D Red Sox, are a collegiate summer baseball team based in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Red Sox play thei ...
of the Cape Cod Baseball League, where he batted .297 in 50 games, was named the starting
shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...
for the East Division All-Star team, and received the league's sportsmanship award. During his junior season, Panik compiled a .398
batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
with 19 doubles, 10
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s, and 57
runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the ba ...
(RBI), ranking tenth among college baseball players with a .509 on-base percentage (OBP). Panik played the first-ever game at
Citi Field Citi Field is a baseball stadium located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in New York City, United States. It opened in 2009 and is the home field of Major League Baseball's New York Mets. The stadium was built as a replacement for the adjacent ...
in a pre-season game between St. John's University and Georgetown on March 29, 2009. Panik earned
All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
honors from the
American Baseball Coaches Association The American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) is the world's largest Amateur baseball in the United States, amateur baseball Manager (baseball), coaching organization. It was founded in 1945 as the American Association of College Baseball Coach ...
(ABCA), '' Baseball America'' and
Louisville Slugger Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...
. Panik was also a finalist for the
Brooks Wallace Award The Brooks Wallace Award is an award given by the College Baseball Foundation (CBF) to the best college baseball shortstop of the year. The award has been given annually since 2004. Until 2008 the award was presented to the nation's most outstandi ...
, an honor given to the nation's top shortstop. He was also a first team ABCA All-Northeast Region honoree, a first team All-Big East selection, and the Red Storm Most Valuable Player.


Professional career


Draft and minor leagues

Out of St. John's, the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...
drafted Panik in the first round, with the 29th overall selection, of the
2011 Major League Baseball draft The 2011 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2011, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Gerrit Cole out of the University of California, Los Angeles, with the firs ...
. Panik made his professional debut with the
Salem-Keizer Volcanoes The Salem-Keizer Volcanoes are a baseball team located in Keizer, Oregon, who are charter members of the Mavericks Independent Baseball League, a four-team league entirely based in the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area and playing all their hom ...
of the
Class A-Short Season Class A Short Season (officially Short-Season A) was a level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States from 1965 through 2020. In the hierarchy of minor league classifications, it was below Triple-A, Double-A, Class A-Advanced (cre ...
Northwest League The Northwest League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Northwestern United States and Western Canada. A Class A Short Season league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Basebal ...
. He led the league with a .341
batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
, 49 runs scored, 54 RBI and a .401 on-base percentage (OBP) for Salem-Keizer, winning the league's Most Valuable Player award. He was rated the tenth best second base prospect prior to the 2012 season and was invited to spring training. Panik spent the 2012 season with the
San Jose Giants The San Jose Giants are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Located in San Jose, California, the Giants play their home games at Excite Ballpark. Games San Jose Giants ga ...
of the
Class A-Advanced High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...
California League, batting .297 with 27 doubles, seven home runs, and 76 RBI in 130 games. In 2013, Panik was promoted to the
Richmond Flying Squirrels The Richmond Flying Squirrels are a Minor League Baseball team based in Richmond, Virginia. The team, which is a part of the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major league club, and plays at The Diamond. The ...
of the
Class AA Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...
Eastern League, where he was moved to second base and recorded a .333 on-base percentage and 27 doubles, four triples, four homers. In 2014, Panik started the season with the
Fresno Grizzlies The Fresno Grizzlies are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They are located in Fresno, California, and play their home games at Chukchansi Park, which was opened in 2002 in d ...
of the
Class AAA Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). ...
Pacific Coast League, where he hit .321, with five home runs, 45 RBIs, and 50 runs scored in 74 games.


San Francisco Giants (2014–2019)


2014–2015

Panik made his MLB debut on June 21, 2014, pinch-hitting for the pitcher in the eighth inning and drawing a walk against
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...
relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as inclement weat ...
Matt Stites Matthew Steven Stites (born May 28, 1990) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Major League Baseball for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2014 and 2015. Career Amateur Stites attended Festus High School in Festus, Misso ...
in a game the Giants won 6–4. Panik's first Major League start came the next day, when he batted seventh and played second base. In his second at-bat in that game he registered his first MLB hit. Panik hit his first home run on August 22, against
Doug Fister Douglas Wildes Fister (born February 4, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, and Texas ...
of the
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
. It was a three-run home run (one of Panik's four hits that night), which gave the Giants the lead in a game they eventually won 10–3. On September 1, Panik pinch-hit in the resumption of a game against the Colorado Rockies that began on May 22 but was suspended due to rain. Per MLB record-keeping policy, Panik's debut is formally recognized as May 22, 2014. On October 16, in the 2014 National League Championship Series, Panik hit a two-run home run in Game 5 to help lead the Giants to an eventual 6–3 victory over the Cardinals to advance to the
2014 World Series The 2014 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2014 season. The 110th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion San Francisco Giants and the Ameri ...
against the Royals. On October 29, in Game 7 of the World Series, the Giants beat the Kansas City Royals 3–2 to win the series. In the bottom of the third inning with a runner on first, Panik made a diving stop on a ball up the middle and flipped the ball with his glove to shortstop
Brandon Crawford Brandon Michael Crawford (born January 21, 1987) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). Crawford played college baseball for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). H ...
to get the lead runner out. Crawford then threw to first to try to get a sliding
Eric Hosmer Eric John Hosmer (born October 24, 1989) is an American professional baseball first baseman for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Kansas City Royals, San Diego Padres, and the Boston Red Sox ...
out. Initially, Hosmer was called safe on the play, but after a three-minute replay review, the call was overturned for the 4–6–3 double play. It was the first-ever overturned call in the World Series since the replay review system was implemented, and the double play was regarded by multiple sportswriters as one of the most spectacular plays in World Series history. In the 2014 regular season, Panik played in 73 games and recorded 269 at bats. He scored 31 runs and 82 hits. He had 10 doubles and two triples along with one home run. Panik also recorded 18 runs batted. He was walked 16 times and struck out 33 times. He did not steal any bases. He finished with a .305 average and an on base percentage of .343. Panik was named to the Giants' 2015 Opening Day 25-man roster. On April 22, 2015, Panik hit a walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
3–2. Panik hit another walk-off nine days later on May 1, a pinch-hit, bases-loaded single against the
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team h ...
. On May 3, in a 5–0 win over the
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team h ...
, Panik batted second and homered off
Jered Weaver Jered David Weaver (born October 4, 1982) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels and San Diego Padres. Weaver was drafted in the first round (12th overal ...
right after
Nori Aoki is a Japanese professional baseball outfielder for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He previously played for the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Toro ...
homered to start the game. It was the first time the Giants started off a game with consecutive home runs since . On July 6, Panik was selected as a reserve player for the 2015 All Star Game. On August 3, Panik was placed on the 15-day disabled list with lower back inflammation. He returned for three games in September before he was shut down for the season. For the 2015 season, Panik batted .312, with 8 home runs, 37 RBIs, and 59 runs scored. After the season, Panik revealed his "back inflammation" was actually a
stress fracture A stress fracture is a fatigue-induced bone fracture caused by repeated stress over time. Instead of resulting from a single severe impact, stress fractures are the result of accumulated injury from repeated submaximal loading, such as running or ...
of the L5 vertebra, which had fully healed by December.


2016–2019

Panik played in a career-high 127 games in 2016, hitting 10 home runs and 62 RBIs, although his batting average dipped to .239. Panik missed most of July with concussion symptoms after being hit in the head by a pitch from (future teammate) Matt Moore on June 18. After the season, Panik was awarded a
Gold Glove The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in bo ...
, becoming the first Giants second baseman to win since
Robby Thompson Robert Randall Thompson (born May 10, 1962) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball (1986–1996) as the second baseman for the San Francisco Giants. During the Giants ...
in 1993. In 2017, Panik set a Giants franchise record, and tied the MLB record, with 12 hits in a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies from September 4–6. He was the first major leaguer to accomplish the feat since
Jerry Remy Gerald Peter Remy (November 8, 1952 – October 30, 2021) was an American professional baseball player and sports broadcaster. Remy played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a second baseman for ten seasons—three with the California Angels (1 ...
in 1981. For the season, he batted .288/.347/.421. On Opening Day against the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
in 2018, Panik hit a solo home run off
Clayton Kershaw Clayton Edward Kershaw (born March 19, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) . He has played for the Dodgers for the entirety of his MLB career. A left-handed starting pi ...
, with the Giants winning the game 1–0. The next evening, Panik hit a solo home run off
Kenley Jansen Kenley Geronimo Jansen (born September 30, 1987) is a Curaçaoan professional baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves. Signed by the ...
in the top of the ninth inning, again lifting the Giants to a 1–0 victory, and becoming the first player in MLB history to homer for his team in back-to-back 1–0 victories. He also hit a solo shot in the Giants' home opener against the Seattle Mariners, making him the first MLB player to score his team's first 3 runs in a season off solo home runs. On July 7, he was placed on the disabled list. He was reactivated on July 30, 2018. For the season he batted .254/.307/.332 with 4 home runs in 358 at bats. On August 6, 2019, Panik was designated for assignment. He had been hitting .235/.310/.317, with an OPS of .627 and 3 home runs. He was placed on release waivers on August 7.


New York Mets

On August 9, 2019, Panik signed with the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
. He tallied his first Mets hit as part of a ninth-inning rally on August 9, and recorded his first Mets RBI two days later. He batted .277/.333/.404, with 12 RBIs and 2 home runs, during his time with the Mets. Panik became a free agent following the 2019 season.


Toronto Blue Jays

On January 18, 2020, Panik signed a minor league deal with the
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
. He impressed in Spring Training and he was added to the 40-man roster on March 15. Overall with the 2020 Blue Jays, Panik batted .225 with one home run and 7 RBIs in 41 games. In the AL Wild Card Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, he went 1 for 6, making the final out in both games as the Blue Jays were swept in the best-of-3 series. On February 12, 2021, Panik re-signed with the Blue Jays organization on a minor league contract that included an invitation to Spring Training. On April 1, 2021, Panik was selected to the 40-man roster. In 42 games for Toronto, Panik batted .246/.293/.351 with 2 home runs and 11 RBI.


Miami Marlins

On June 29, 2021, Panik was traded to the Miami Marlins alongside minor league pitcher Andrew McInvale in exchange for
Adam Cimber Adam Christian Cimber (born August 15, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the San Diego Padres, Cleveland Indians, and Miami Marlins. Cimber is one ...
and
Corey Dickerson McKenzie Corey Dickerson (born May 22, 1989) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has played in MLB for the Colorado Rockies (2013–2015), Tampa Bay Rays (2016–2017), ...
. Panik played in 53 games for the Marlins, hitting .172 with 1 home run and 7 RBIs. Panik was designated for assignment by Miami on October 1. On October 4, Panik elected free agency.


Retirement

Panik retired after eight seasons on May 19, 2022.


Personal life

Panik and his wife, Brittany (née Pinto), have known each other since they were children and married in December 2016. They live in Hopewell Junction, New York. On October 16, 2021, they had their first child, a daughter. He has participated in a baseball clinic hosted by
Matt Barnes Matt Barnes (born March 9, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Barnes was drafted in the second round of the 2002 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies. He ...
at a Newtown, Connecticut, Youth Academy for elementary school students in the aftermath of the
Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurred on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut, United States, when 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot and killed 26 people. Twenty of the victims were children between six and seven years old, and t ...
. His brother, Paul Panik, is a
college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional p ...
coach.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Panik, Joe 1990 births Living people Sportspeople from Yonkers, New York Baseball players from New York (state) Major League Baseball second basemen San Francisco Giants players New York Mets players Toronto Blue Jays players Miami Marlins players St. John's Red Storm baseball players Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox players Salem-Keizer Volcanoes players San Jose Giants players Richmond Flying Squirrels players Fresno Grizzlies players Scottsdale Scorpions players People from Hopewell Junction, New York National League All-Stars Gold Glove Award winners