Seattle Mariners 2020 Review/2021 Preview – Catchers
It was an exciting 2020 season for the Seattle Mariners. Pacific Northwest Sports continues our six-part series, which looks back on the season that just ended and previews the next season. Today we examine the M’s catchers.
The 2020 Seattle Mariners season is officially in the books. It was certainly an up and down ride during this year’s 60-game sprint. But uneven play should be expected from what turned out to be the youngest team in Major League Baseball (26.9-years-old).
Despite their youth and spotty play at times, the Mariners finished with a 27–33 record. That was good for third in the American League West Division. Seattle was in the hunt for the playoffs until the final week, ultimately coming up two games short. Their young team got just a taste of what it’s like to battle for the Major League playoffs. A valuable experience that will serve them well in the future.
While there were more losses than wins in 2020, the team instilled hope for a better 2021.
PNWS takes a look back at the season that just ended and previews the next season. We continue our six-part series with the catchers.
Stepping up
Coming off a surprising 2019 in which he hit .273 with a .858 OPS, Tom Murphy was expected to be the Seattle Mariners regular catcher this year. An injury to his left foot just days before the opener ended up costing him the entire season. That was a huge disappointment for both him and the team. The M’s were counting on his strong defense and ability to handle the pitchers this year.
Backup Austin Nola became the new number one after Murphy’s injury. A converted utility player, signed as a minor league free agent in 2019, this was his first chance to play every day in the Major Leagues. He might not have been the most fundamentally sound backstop, but his skills with a bat in his hands were top-shelf. That last part is an understatement; he was fantastic at the dish. Over 110 plate appearances, Nola’s slash line with Seattle was .306/.373/.531/.903 with five home runs and 19 RBI.
Nola did so well that Seattle Mariners General Manager Jerry DiPoto was able to trade him to San Diego for some excellent prospects at the trade deadline. His departure was a blow to the M’s offense, but they may have found a keeper behind the plate in return.
Bright Future
Seattle acquired Luis Torrens in the Nola trade. After he arrived from the Padres, Torrens became Seattle’s number one backstop. After a hot start, the Dominican backstop cooled off a bit in the final two weeks but still hit .254 in 59 at-bats. Torrens and Murphy likely will share catching duties next year, the same way Murphy and Nola were expected to in 2020.
Due to injuries, minor league veterans Joe Hudson and Joseph Odom also saw some time with the Mariners this summer. Neither hit over the Mendoza line and aren’t likely to be with Seattle next year, although one of the two could wind up landing a spot with the team’s Triple-A affiliate.
Cal Raleigh, the Seattle Mariners top catcher prospect and ninth overall prospect, hasn’t played above Double-A yet. A switch hitter, the 2018 third-round pick from Florida State can handle the bat. However, to be a Major League catcher, Raleigh needs to improve his defense, something he worked on at the M’s alternate training site this summer.
Raleigh will start the 2021 season either at Double-A Arkansas or triple-A Tacoma. In either case, he should see some time in Seattle next season, even if it is a September call-up. Depending on how Raleigh does next year, the Mariners could trade Murphy or Torrens.
Our series continues later this week.