J.P. Crawford , Seattle Mariners.
Shed Long Jr., Seattle Mariners middle infield.
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).
Houston swept the Mariners in the first four games of the year. Their poor start continued through August when the team bottomed out at 9-18 on the 20th. Many Mariners fans thought the 60-game schedule felt more like 180 because Seattle was manhandled in so many of their defeats. To the supporter’s delight, the Mariners played outstanding baseball over the final five weeks of the season and going 18-15.
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. Better yet, Seattle put themselves in the hunt for a playoff spot, lasting until the final week, but ultimately came 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 middle infielders.
J.P. Crawford, Seattle Mariners.
J.P. Crawford began the season as the Seattle Mariners number one shortstop. Aside from a short stint on the bereavement list in mid-September (11-16), he played in almost every game this year.
Crawford has played stellar defense, committing only three errors in 2020. According to BaseballReference.com, he led the American League in Total Zone Runs and Range Factor (putouts+assists/games). Also, Crawford was fourth with a .984 fielding percentage.
Crawford got off to an excellent .393 batting average in the eight July games. He started the year batting second, but when Long wasn’t hitting, Crawford moved to the leadoff spot. His hot hitting carried through to mid-August then went into a decline. After August 13th, Crawford hit .233 with a .621 OPS. That dropped his overall average on the year to a respectable .255.
Going into next season, Crawford will be the Mariners shortstop. He will have to work on his consistency at the plate if he wants to keep that leadoff job. It would be nice if he hit between .250 and .275 and got on base at a .350 clip.
When Crawford needs a day off on occasion next year, Dylan Moore will be Servais’ choice to fill in. If Crawford went out long term, Donovan Walton, the Seattle Mariners #25 prospect, would probably come up from Triple-A Tacoma. Walton got a brief taste of the Majors this season, appearing in five games. A good fielder, he hit only .154 in 13 at-bats. That’s something for him to work on next season in the minors.
Ty France, Seattle Mariners.
Dylan Moore played almost everywhere this season. As mentioned above, he’ll be Crawford’s fill in at shortstop. That’s if he has time. Moore will likely be the Mariners starting second baseman next season (unless Kyle Seager is traded). The utility man hit .255 with a team-high .855 OPS (over 120 at-bats). He also led the team with 12 stolen bases and finished third in doubles (9) and home runs (8).
The season ended for Moore on September 22. He was placed on the seven-day concussion protocol, injured list after being hit in the head with a pitch the previous night. That was the second time Moore was beaned with a 90+ miles-per-hour fastball within in a week.
Ty France, acquired from San Diego in the Austin Nola trade, was a big surprise. Since arriving on September 4, he played almost every day, primarily at second base or designated hitter. France proved himself at the dish, posting a .302 batting average and .815 OPS.
The long ball wasn’t there for France. He only had two home runs in 86 Seattle at-bats. Don’t be concerned about the lack of homers; he had five doubles for the M’s this year and has the potential to be a 20 HR per season hitter.
France isn’t known for his defense, which is why he should be the Seattle Mariners primary DH in 2021. Then again, if DiPoto can move Kyle Seager, Moore would slide over to third, and France will play second base.
Dee Strange-Gordon, Seattle Mariners. (Photo by Keith Allison, via Wikimedia)
Shed Long Jr. began the season as the M’s second baseman. Before spring training, Seattle Mariners General Manager Jerry Dipoto said he expected Long to be a cornerstone of his team’s rebuilding process. As expected on opening day he was Seattle’s second baseman and leadoff hitter.
Long had big problems at the plate. In mid-August, he was moved out of the leadoff spot. By September, he was hitting a sub-Mendoza Line .171 and lost his starting job. Finally, the M’s placed Long on the injured list on September 11 with a stress fracture in his left shin.
The Birmingham, AL native doesn’t look one of the faces of Seattle’s rebuild any longer. In fact, he will have to work very hard to have any chance of making the team next year. If he does head to Seattle after spring training, it will be as a utility player.
Dee Strange-Gordon was supposed to be the Seattle Mariners super-utility man, playing some second base along with shortstop and the outfield. He struggled mightily early on, batting just .118. The veteran rallied during the second half, batting .303 after August 18.
I’m sure Dipoto wanted to trade Strange-Gordon to a contender at the deadline but couldn’t find a taker. Dee is still popular with both his teammates and the Seattle fans. Off the field, he is this year’s Mariners candidate to win MLB’s Roberto Clemente Award for community service.
The Mariners likely won’t pick up Strange-Gordon’s option for next year anyway. But this is a sad way to go out for a good guy.
Sam Haggerty, Seattle Mariners.
Tim Lopes and Sam Haggerty may make next season’s roster as utility players. Lopes had both a good spring training and summer camp. He began the season with the Mariners and got off to a good start, batting .308 in July.
August was not as kind to Lopes. His average dipped to .240 by the end of the month. When France arrived from San Diego, the Mariners demoted Lopes to their alternate training site on September 3. He came back a week-and-half later, with a vengeance. Lopes went 3-for-3 in the first game of a doubleheader against Oakland, which the M’s won 6-5 and remained with Seattle for the rest of the season.
The Seattle Mariners claimed Sam Haggerty off waivers from the New York Mets in January. A longshot to make the opening roster, the switch hitter began the 2020 season at the Mariners alternate training camp. He came up to the M’s on August 19 and stuck around for two weeks. Unfortunately, a left forearm strain ended his season.
Haggerty is listed as a second baseman; however, he played mostly the outfield for the Mariners with a .260 average in those limited games. The former Indians 24th round pick has a nice set of wheels and makes good contact at the plate. We will have to see whether the Mariners will have room for both Lopes and Haggerty next season.
How do you feel about the Seattle Mariners middle infield situation? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.