Description
Victus model DT29 was used by Kevin Pillar with the San Francisco Giants during the 2019 season. The bat shows excellent use with a handle crack.
Numerous ball marks, light seam impressions, and ink transfers are visible on the left and back barrel surfaces. The handle has a moderate coat of pine tar/mota stick and a crack that runs approximately 13-inches in length. At the tip of the crack there is a small piece missing that measures 5/8 of an inch. The knob has Pillar’s San Francisco Giants #1 decal present. No markings are present on the barrel end.
The bat is MLB Authenticated (JD812552). It was cracked on May 9th, 2019 in the top of the 5th Inning on the road against the Colorado Rockies.
The previous day Pillar hit career home run #61 off pitcher Antonio Senzatela of the Colorado Rockies. While a formal photo match was not possible, the bat is a very similar Victus bat of the same color pattern. Additionally, the grain test pattern is located on the same side of the handle.
On April 2, 2019, the Blue Jays traded Pillar to the San Francisco Giants for Alen Hanson, Derek Law, and Juan De Paula. Pillar hit his first career grand slam against the San Diego Padres on April 8. On May 4, Pillar earned an MLB Play of the Week award catching Nick Senzel’s would-be home run by scaling the center field wall. Pillar assumed the position of everyday center fielder, as Steven Duggar’s continued injury problems forced him into a few stints on the injured list. On August 17, Pillar had a career-high 5 hits against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
For the 2019 season with the Giants, he batted .264/.293/.442 with 37 doubles (8th in the NL), 21 home runs, 87 RBIs, and 6 sacrifice flies (8th) while stealing 14 bases; his 161 games played for the season were 6th in the majors, while his 6.9 at bats per strikeout were 7th. On defense, he was 3rd in the league in both his range factor/game as an outfielder (2.30) and his fielding percentage as a center fielder (.986). He led the Giants (or tied for the lead) in runs, doubles, triples, home runs, RBIs, and stolen bases.
In September, Pillar received the Willie Mac Award, given to the team’s most inspirational player, as voted on by players, coaches, trainers, and fans. In November, Pillar received one vote for 2019 National League Most Valuable Player. San Francisco opted not to tender Pillar a contract on December 2, 2019, making him a free agent.
