Seattle Mariners 2020 Review/2021 Preview – Outfield
Dylan Moore, Seattle Mariners.
Sagging corners
Overall, the Seattle Mariners were a poor hitting team. The corner outfield spots did them no favors. M’s left fielders hit .218 while their counterparts in right hit a team position low of .191.
Mallex Smith struggled at the plate and in the field. After starting the year with a .133 batting average, he made his last appearance in a Mariners uniform on August 15. The M’s sent him to the alternate training site, never to be heard from again. The rest of MLB passed on him as well. Seattle placed Smith on waivers September 11, and he went unclaimed. It looks like his career in Seattle (and maybe the Majors) is over.
One thing the M’s have a surplus of is utility players. It seems like manager Scott Servais has a drawer full of Swiss Army knives ready to deploy anywhere and everywhere. Although neither Dylan Moore nor Tim Lopes are outfielders by trade, both saw plenty of time in left and right. Even second baseman Sam Haggerty played the outfield (and pretty well) during a brief two week period in August before a season-ending injury. All three were okay in short bursts, but none put themselves into consideration for a full-time placement.
A career minor leaguer, Jose Marmolejos, made his MLB debut at age 27 as the Seattle Mariners left fielder on opening day. Marmolejos struggled the first week and was demoted August 3 with a batting average of .103. He came back on the 27th with something to prove. Over the final month of the season, Marmolejos had a .244 batting average and .801 OPS with five home runs. If Marmolejos makes the ball club next spring, it will be for his bat, not his glove though he can play okay in the field.
The Seattle Mariners picked up Phillip Ervin off waivers from Cincinnati on September 5 and gave him a chance to play every day. In his brief time with Seattle, the right fielder hit only .205 but played a good defensive game. Last year, Ervin hit .271 with a .797 OPS for Cincinnati. If the Mariners can get his bat going again, they may find a diamond in the rough with Ervin.