By: Amanda Szylin 

For the 37^th time in Major League Baseball’s history, the World Series came down to a Game 7. The six previous games in the World Series meant nothing going into last night’s game between the Kansas City Royals and the San Francisco Giants. It all came down to who had the highest score when the last out was recorded. In true Game 7 fashion, the Giants squeaked out a win against the Royals with a score of 3-2. While everyone contributed to this World Series title for the Giants, everyone at the AAU would like to especially congratulate five of its alumni that can add a World Series ring to their collection.

Joe Panik #12

Panik, a 6’1 second baseman from Yonkers, New York, played in a total of 17 games in the postseason, including all seven games of the World Series. In those 17 games, he racked up 73 at bats, with 17 hits and 26 total bases. He scored seven runs for the Giants in the postseason and drove in eight more. The 24 year old made his MLB debut just five months ago and managed to hold a .233 batting average during the entire postseason. A day after his team’s World Series win, he will be celebrating his 24^th birthday.

Congratulations, Joe and Happy Birthday!

Andrew Susac #34

Susac, another 24 year old that made his MLB debut back in May, played in four postseason games for the Giants. He stepped up to the plate four times, getting a base hit once. The 6’1 catcher from Oregon State has played in only 35 Major League games, so the fact that the Giants included him in their 25-man World Series roster goes to show that they see his full potential.

Congratulations, Andrew and good luck in the future!

Buster Posey #28

The former Florida State superstar played in 17 total games in the postseason and all seven games of the World Series. He racked up 69 at bats over the course of the postseason, reaching base 17 times with a hit and driving in seven runs. He scored another five runs himself and drew six walks. The former AAU Sullivan Award nominee averaged .246 and maintained a .312 on base percentage throughout the postseason. 

Congratulations to Buster Posey! 

Hunter Strickland #60

The 6’4 right hander pitched in eight postseason games for the Giants, with four of those in the World Series. Strickland didn’t start any of those games, but he did earn one win and received credit for a save. He pitched a total of 8.1 innings and gave up nine hits and seven earned runs throughout the postseason. Strickland racked up eight strikeouts and had a 7.56 ERA.

Congratulations on your World Series title, Hunter!

Madison Bumgarner #40

Last but certainly not least, Madison Bumgarner, a 6’5 left hander, was the talk of the World Series after pitching in three games, starting two of them. His numbers were phenomenal throughout the postseason, where he pitched in 7 total games, starting six of them. Two of those games were complete games, and he had two shutouts. He added a save to his stat line and racked up 52.2 innings pitched. He allowed only 28 hits and seven runs in the entire postseason and struck out 45 batters. In the three games he pitched during the World Series, he maintained a .043 ERA over 21 innings pitched. Of his nine hits allowed, one was a home run, the only run he allowed in the World Series. Bumgarner struck out 17 batters in the World Series alone and only walked one. In Game 5, he pitched a 117-pitch shutout and three days later, came into Game 7 with a one-run lead in the fifth. He dominated for five scoreless innings, retiring 14 batters in a row and holding the tying run on third base in the ninth.

This is the Giants’ third World Series title in five years, the other wins coming in 2010 and 2012.

Congratulations to the entire San Francisco Giants team on your World Series win!