Joe Panik is our litmus test

Joe Panik was the youngest player in the lineup last Opening Day, and the youngest player to receive nearly 400 plate appearances. He’ll be 28 years old when Opening Day arrives this year, but the idea that his prime years are happening right now and we should be looking forward to what’s about to come has taken a hit thanks to everything that’s happened since his breakout 2015.

Of course, he began last season carrying the team. Two solo home runs beat the Dodgers in back to back games, and a third solo home run three games later in the Giants’ home opener against the Mariners represented the team’s sole runs through the first 22 innings of the season. Yes, that was damning of the team…