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Best San Francisco Giants of the 2010s: 30. Gregor Blanco

Joel Reuter|
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 4: Gregor Blanco #1 of the San Francisco Giants rounds third base on his way to scoring during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 4, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 4: Gregor Blanco #1 of the San Francisco Giants rounds third base on his way to scoring during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 4, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

Gregor Blanco was an oft-used fourth outfielder throughout his time with the San Francisco Giants, playing a key role in the 2012 and 2014 World Series wins.

The San Francisco Giants signed Gregor Blanco to a one-year, $1.35 million contract prior to the 2012 season.

Already in his age-28 season when he joined the Giants, Blanco hit .258/.358/.324 for an 85 OPS+ in 836 plate appearances with the Atlanta Braves and Kansas City Royals prior to the signing.

With Melky Cabrera missing time to a suspension and Hunter Pence not acquired until July, Blanco ended up seeing significant playing time in his first year in San Francisco with a respectable 94 OPS+ and 24 extra-base hits in 453 plate appearances.

That offensive showing coupled with his strong defense was worth 2.1 WAR, and he continued to contribute in the postseason with a .235/.339/.412 line that included five extra-base hits and 10 runs scored in 16 games.

From there, he became a staple on the roster, and that performance proved to be the norm during his first four seasons with the San Francisco Giants.

  • 2012: 453 PA, 94 OPS+, 24 XBH, 26 SB, 2.1 WAR
  • 2013: 511 PA, 99 OPS+, 26 XBH, 14 SB, 2.7 WAR
  • 2014: 444 PA, 103 OPS+, 29 XBH, 16 SB, 1.5 WAR
  • 2015: 372 PA, 115 OPS+, 27 XBH, 13 SB, 1.0 WAR

He won another ring in 2014, drawing six walks and hitting a home run while scoring six runs in seven games during the team’s victory over the Kansas City Royals.

His production dropped off in 2016 when he hit .224/.309/.311 in 274 plate appearances for a 70 OPS+ and -1.0 WAR. He spent the 2017 season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, before returning in 2018 with a .217/.262/.317 line and -0.8 WAR in 68 games.

The 35-year-old is now playing at the Triple-A level with the New York Mets.

So while the end of his tenure with the team was not great, the 7.4 WAR he posted during his first four seasons with the San Francisco Giants is enough to earn Gregor Blanco a spot inside the top 30 in our best of the 2010s rankings.

Check back here regularly as we count down the 50 best San Francisco Giants of the 2010s.

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