2021 Seattle Mariners line-up card with ideal hitters in each slot
Joe Swenson
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Batting Seventh
Ideal Seventh Batter: This is where teams start to throw together players that are useful in turning the line-up over and getting pitch-counts up. So anything from a .330 OBP to a .700 OPS can be useful.
Mariners 2021 Answer: Luis Torrens or Tom Murphy. Both of these backstops can fill the responsibility of this slot in the line-up admirably. Torrens had a .873 OPS at his last stop in the minors in 2019. Tom Murphy had the best season of his MLB career in 2019 with a .838 OPS. But both could’ve been flukes, and should they do what they did in 2019, then boom, this part of the line-up will be legit.
Mariners Future Answer: Tyler Keenan. The track record on fourth-round picks isn’t great. In fact, it’s really a crapshoot, but if Tyler Keenan comes even close to his numbers at Mississippi (1.270 OPS his senior year), then he could be a possible Kyle Seager replacement.
Batting Eighth
Ideal Eighth Batter: Same as seventh, not really looking for something Earth-shattering. Some have called the eighth batter clean-up number two, but that’s not true. The goal is to turn over the line-up, and once again, this is where we get a .330 OBP or .700 OPS-type.
Mariners 2021 Answer: It will have to be Evan White, but he’s a tough one to put here offensively. His .599 OPS was easily the lowest among Mariners starters in 2020. The crazy thing is that he’s shown good plate discipline in the minors, but his 2020 rookie season put him on pace for an astounding 226 strikeouts. That’s not good.
Mariners Future Answer: Also Evan White. It has to be. His defense warrants being on the field to prevent runs. He also needs to produce runs.
Batting Ninth
Ideal Ninth Batter: Someone with a little more speed and good baserunning ability. Ideally, he’s going to bat .230 or better, play great defense, and will turn the line-up over from time-to-time.
Mariners 2021 Answer: J.P. Crawford. This is where he belongs until that bat catches up. It might not. His minor league numbers would suggest (along with his Major League experience) that he will not be at the top of the Mariners lineup much longer. He did bat .255, but he only got on base at a .336 clip, and he displayed almost no power in the process.
Mariners Future Answer: Once again, J.P. Crawford. This is where he belongs, like it or not. For the immediate future anyway; especially if Dylan Moore ends up in the line-up more often than not.
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Joe Swenson is a life-long Seattle Sports fan, writer, director, producer at www.brokenartsentertainment.com