SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Given Joe Panik's array of accomplishments, improving means excelling.
Panik made the National League All-Star team in 2015. Last year, the Giants second baseman won a Gold Glove Award and established himself as the toughest player in the Major Leagues to strike out.
So when Panik says, as he did Thursday, that he wants to "just get back to being myself, and a better version of myself," he'd have to reach a truly elite level to achieve that goal.
Panik has weathered significant injuries while compiling his impressive credentials. A stress fracture forced a premature conclusion to his season in 2015, when he batted .