San Francisco Giants: Kevin Pillar on a ridiculous 179-RBI pace

Kevin Pillar has been piling up RBI in his brief time in a San Francisco Giants uniform. That’s put him on a staggering—albeit completely unsustainable—pace.

Another day, another four RBI game for new San Francisco Giants center fielder Kevin Pillar.

After launching a grand slam on Monday, Pillar went 1-for-3 with four RBI hitting out of the leadoff spot on Tuesday night, lacing a bases-clearing double and adding a sacrifice fly.

GRAND SLAM ? @KPILLAR4 pic.twitter.com/IyOFrFX6IX
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) April 9, 2019

According to Kerry Crowley of The Mercury News, Pillar is the first Giants player since Barry Bonds in 2002 to log back-to-back games with four RBI.

“I’m just really trying to focus on my strengths right now,” Pillar told reporters (via Crowley). “I think we get really caught up in our weaknesses and we work on that so much that we forget about our strengths. I’m really getting back to what I feel like I do best.”

With eight RBI in seven games with the Giants after spending the first five games of the 2019 season with the Toronto Blue Jays, Pillar is now on pace to drive in 179 runs.

Of course, that will never happen.

For context, current MLB RBI leader Cody Bellinger has 19 in 12 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers, putting him on pace for 257 RBI.

The single-season record of 191 by Hack Wilson has stood since 1930, and it’s unlikely anyone is going to make a run at rewriting the record books any time soon. Especially, a defensive-minded center fielder who has never driven in more than 59 runs in a season.

Being on a ridiculous pace on April 10 doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things.

However, it perfectly illustrates the immediate impact that Pillar has had on this team, especially with the spark he’s provided offensively:

Kevin Pillar has been with #SFGiants for a week. He has the two hardest-hit balls by the team this year, both 110 mph: his double tonight and NOT his grand slam last night (103), but a single in the home opener.
— Henry Schulman (@hankschulman) April 10, 2019

The fact that he’s gone 5-for-39 (.128 BA) overall in his seven games with the team almost feels like a moot point.

The Pillar trade was made with defense in mind, and he’s given no reason to think he won’t be a stellar addition to the outfield unit in that regard. It’s almost as if anything he provides offensively will be gravy.

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And so far, he’s provided two heaping spoonfuls of gravy.

Kevin Pillar has been piling up RBI in his brief time in a San Francisco Giants uniform. That’s put him on a staggering—albeit completely unsustainable—pace.

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