Former San Francisco Giants Star Pablo Sandoval Set to Pitch in Independent League

Pablo Sandoval, a three-time World Series champion third baseman with the San Francisco Giants, is scheduled to take the mound for the Atlantic League's Staten Island FerryHawks on Saturday.

Mar 20, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; San Francisco Giants infielder Pablo Sandoval reacts to fans before a Spring Training game against the Los Angeles Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium. / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Pablo Sandoval put together quite the storied MLB career, winning three World Series championships with the San Francisco Giants, but his playing days aren't over just yet.

The 38-year-old third baseman is still hanging around in the independent Atlantic League, suiting up for the Staten Island FerryHawks in 2024. In 119 games this season, Sandoval has hit .248 with 10 home runs, 78 RBI and a .677 OPS.

This weekend, however, Sandoval is set to do something he has never done before in his entire professional career.

Sandoval has been pegged as the FerryHawks' starting pitcher for Saturday's game against the Lancaster Stormers, the Stormers announced Friday night.

Former World Series MVP Pablo Sandoval will be the starting pitcher for the Staten Island FerryHawks on Saturday,...

Posted by Lancaster Stormers on Friday, September 13, 2024

Sandoval has already taken the mound twice this season, coming in as a reliever both times. In 2.0 innings of work, he has given up one hit, two walks and zero runs. The Giants actually had Sandoval pitch once in 2018 and once in 2019, getting 2.0 perfect innings out of the position player amidst blowout losses.

But for as nice as a 0.00 ERA and 0.750 WHIP look, Sandoval certainly isn't known as an ace.

Sandoval made his MLB debut in 2008, becoming San Francisco's everyday third baseman by 2009. He won a World Series in 2010, was named an All-Star in 2011 and 2012, won World Series MVP in 2012 and secured a third championship ring in 2014.

To that point in his career, Sandoval was a .294 hitter with an .811 OPS, averaging 20 home runs, 86 RBI and a 3.8 WAR per 162 games. He signed a five-year, $90 million contract with the Boston Red Sox ahead of the 2015 campaign, though, and he was never the same.

Sandoval played just 161 games over three seasons in Boston before getting cut loose and finding his way back to San Francisco. He never approached All-Star status again, fizzling out with the Atlanta Braves in 2021.

After spending 2022 in Mexico, Sandoval joined Baseball United, a startup league in Dubai, in 2023. He spun that into a minor league contract and Spring Training invite from the Giants, although he was released just before the regular season began.

Kung Fu Panda's career is now on its last legs, making this the perfect opportunity for him to leave it all out there on the field. There isn't much the 5-foot-10, 270-pound star hasn't done on the diamond, but now he gets to check off another box before retiring.

First pitch from Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. ET.

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