Whereas some of the anticipated seasons in Mariners historical past is on maintain till the MLB lockout ends, we’re not letting that get in our manner of breaking down why 2022 ought to be a giant 12 months for baseball in Seattle. Maintain your eye on SeattleSports.com as we proceed our collection of articles taking a look at vital subjects for the Mariners. Within the coming days, we will probably be specializing in the lineup.
On this put up, Maura Dooley of The Mike Salk Present appears to be like on the high candidates to exchange Kyle Seager’s RBI manufacturing. Search for extra posts about huge questions in regards to the Mariners’ lineup all through this week.
As we wait for the seemingly infinite backwards and forwards between MLB and the MLBPA to return to a decision, it’s onerous to not think about what 2022 might appear like for the Mariners.
Largest Mariners Questions in ’22: Who can change Kyle Seager’s RBI manufacturing?
Final season ended with a lot pleasure packed into T-Cellular Park that Mitch Haniger was moved to pen a heartfelt thanks to the followers for his or her help in a Participant’s Tribune article. Haniger additionally added that he hopes the entrance workplace understands “that it’s time to actually go all-in.”
We solely bought a quick glimpse at what the Mariners have in retailer this offseason earlier than the lockout began, however signing Robbie Ray and Adam Frazier was an encouraging begin and with experiences that they’re within the combine for names like Trevor Story and Kris Bryant, plainly Haniger’s “all-in” hopes might come true.
However what about a number of the names which are already on the roster? Who’re the wild playing cards that would contribute to the lineup for the 2022 season? Kyle Lewis, Evan White and Julio Rodriguez all fall into that class for various causes.
OF Kyle Lewis
The uncertainty surrounding Lewis stems from his unlucky damage historical past.
After being drafted eleventh total within the 2016 MLB Draft by the Mariners, Lewis was assigned to the Everett AquaSox. He suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in his proper knee a bit over a month into that season. A 12 months later, he returned to motion with the Modesto Nuts however crashed into the middle area wall and handled extra points in his surgically-repaired knee that restricted him to simply 49 video games. The beginning of his 2018 season was then delayed for a cleanup surgical procedure, which appeared to lastly get Lewis absolutely wholesome.
He bought the September name up in 2019 and had one of many extra memorable Mariners debuts we’ve witnessed, hitting six house runs in his first 10 video games. In 2020, he was unanimously voted AL Rookie of the Yr after posting a .262/.364/.437 slash line with 11 house runs in 58 video games.
Kyle Lewis despatched this ball flying 438 ft. The @Mariners rookie has 7 homers in 19 MLB video games! pic.twitter.com/E47RoZsUPr
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 25, 2020
Lewis gave the impression to be on the verge of breaking out after battling a lot adversity however damage struck once more in 2021. He suffered one other deep bone bruise in spring coaching that held him out most of April. The setback noticed him get off to a sluggish begin however he managed to slash .246/.333/.392 with 5 house runs in 36 video games earlier than being shut down once more in June. An MRI revealed a torn proper meniscus and that coupled with a setback throughout his rehab stored him out the remainder of the season.
Now, the Mariners discover themselves in a tricky place. They need to give Kyle Lewis an opportunity to indicate he can get again to type however can’t depend on it.
“We’ve to enter this season planning on no matter Kyle is ready to ship as a bonus,” Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto stated in his postseason press convention. “He’s had a very tough go right here together with his knees and thru no fault of his personal missed a great a part of this season. He’ll be an enormous a part of what we do however we will’t push very onerous on the pencil till we see him play. Proper now we’re not ready to make a name like that however when Kyle Lewis is wholesome, we’re a greater crew on the sector. We’ll ensure that there’s a possibility to get probably the most out of what he has to provide.”
It seems that the crew will proceed with warning, doubtlessly using Lewis at DH and in a rotational position within the outfield to ease him again in. Even when he isn’t an on a regular basis participant, Lewis has proven sufficient potential as a hitter to be a beneficial contributor to the lineup if he can keep wholesome.
1B Evan White
White is a particularly gifted defensive participant however is a wild card due to accidents and struggles on the plate.
Whtie was the seventeenth total decide by the M’s within the 2017 MLB Draft. The Mariners believed in him sufficient that they made White the primary Double-A prospect to obtain a long-term extension after they signed him to a six-year deal value $24 million in late-2019.
In 2020, White confirmed why the M’s felt so strongly about him when he gained a Gold Glove for his spectacular season at first base. Nonetheless, offense was a bit extra of a battle for the rookie. In 54 video games, he posted a .176/.252/.346 slash line.
Nonetheless grinding.
Evan White provides one other RBI and brings house Kyle Lewis. pic.twitter.com/wLwEEaz1jf
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) July 28, 2020
Issues solely bought harder on the plate in 2021. White battled a quad situation that noticed him miss a lot of April and was pressured out of the lineup by the top of Could with a hip damage that value him the remainder of the season. The temporary time that he was within the lineup didn’t go properly, both. White slashed simply .144/.202/.237, with two house runs in 30 video games.
If White can rebound offensively in his return from damage, the Mariners will discover a approach to work him into the lineup. Ty France’s versatility offers them the choice to maneuver him round and put White again at first if vital sooner or later, however Ty France has gained the job for the second.
“We’re going to must see what it appears to be like like when he’s absolutely rehabbed and able to play,” Dipoto stated of White. “Ty France did an exquisite job and I assumed from starting to finish it was onerous to actually discover a flaw in his season. He performed spectacular protection, which frankly we couldn’t have guess on. I’d by no means seen a lot of him at first base and I assumed he was the very best first basemen in our league from a defensive standpoint and from tip to tip he was about as constant a hitter as we had in our lineup. He’s going to be in our lineup. The place Evan White falls goes to must be decided once we get a greater gauge on the place he’s together with his well being is.”
OF Julio Rodríguez
Rodríguez is a wild card as a result of it’s unlikely he’ll make the M’s opening day roster however we must always see him referred to as up pretty early within the season and he could have an immense quantity of hype to stay as much as. He’s at the moment Baseball America’s No. 2 total prospect. JJ Cooper of Baseball America joined The Jake and Stacy Present in November to debate Julio’s rating.
“Man, I’m enthusiastic about Julio Rodríguez,” Cooper stated. “He’s a prospect that could be very straightforward to like. I keep in mind doing a chunk on him on the finish of the 12 months this 12 months that simply sort of identified the historical past of gamers that batted roughly .330 within the minor leagues within the final decade, it’s actually onerous to search out anybody on that checklist that doesn’t have a great…. typically nice big-league profession. Julio Rodríguez has finished that.”
The @Mariners‘ Julio Rodríguez cannot cease, will not cease hitting for DR within the Olympic qualifier.pic.twitter.com/CVTPkHjj9U
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 5, 2021
In 46 video games with Double-A Arkansas final season, Julio was capable of slash .362/.461/.546 with seven house runs. His energy is extremely spectacular however solely putting out in 18 % of his plate appearances makes all of it that rather more of a feat.
It stays to be seen whether or not Julio can keep away from the struggles that many prospects face when being referred to as up however the Mariners have little question the place he’s headed.
“The ability is there, the arm power is there, and the boldness is there,” Dipoto stated. “He has an excellent persona to be the entrance man so to talk. He’s not afraid of the digicam, he’s not afraid of the adulation. He reveals rising management traits. He’s nonetheless so younger, there’s lots in entrance of him however he’s a giant dude with huge strengths and we really feel like he has the possibility to be a star on this league.”
Large Mariners Questions in ’22: How excessive is Ty France’s ceiling?
