Kyle Lewis, Seattle Mariners.
Kyle Lewis, Seattle Mariners outfielders.
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 conclude our six-part series with the potentially the most exciting group on this team, the outfielders.
The season began with the Mariners having only two true outfielders on the ball team out of summer camp, Kyle Lewis and Mallex Smith. That allowed several different players to get their chances on the field right away.
Kyle Lewis, Seattle Mariners.
Seattle Mariners fans got a brief taste of what Kyle Lewis could do at the end of 2019. During his September call up, the young slugger hit six long balls in just 71 at-bats.
Kyle Lewis was by far the best player on the Seattle Mariners this season. So much so that Lewis may be the American League Rookie of the Year. Superstar is written all over him. He got off to a hot start with a ten-game hitting streak, batting .425 including three home runs and nine RBI’s.
The rookie center fielder came back down to earth in August, hitting .286. The slump continued over the final month of the season. From August 29 to the end of the season on September 27, Lewis hit .141 with five extra-base hits, .554 OPS, and 36 strikeouts in 85 at-bats.
Maybe his slide was caused by him trying to carry the offense by himself. Then again, opposing hurlers could pitch around him without fear of someone else making them pay for it. Whatever the reason, his patience slipped, and he started to chase pitches. Patience improves with maturity and experience, but it’s something he needs to work on this winter.
Lewis ended the season with a slash line of .262/.364/.437/.801 with 11 home runs and 28 RBI. Despite his late-season challenges at the plate, Lewis played stellar defense in center field all year. He made several outstanding catches, including robbing a couple of home runs. His play in center reminded long-time M’s fans of Ken Griffey Jr.
If only the Mariners had close to the same production from their left or right fielders.
Dylan Moore, Seattle Mariners.
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.
Jarred Kelenic, Seattle Mariners.
Most everyone in the Mariners organization expected Jake Fraley to make the opening day roster. Instead, he went to the alternate training site where he spent the vast majority of his season. When the M’s did call Fraley up, he disappointed. During his brief time with the big club, he hit .154 in seven games.
Braden Bishop was another young outfielder whose stock was on the rise prior to 2020. In roughly the same amount of playing time, his numbers were as bad, if not worse than Fraley’s. Both players are good fielders. The pair should be at spring training unless GM Jerry DiPoto trades one or both away in the offseason.
Going into next spring training Kyle Lewis is the only outfielder for sure to be in the Mariners lineup. Mitch Haniger should be back after missing almost two seasons due to a ruptured testicle and its complications. If he does return as the Mitch Haniger Seattle Mariners fans know and love, it will give the offense a huge boost and he will nail down one of the corner spots.
Then there is the Mariners number one prospect, Jarred Kelenic. He spent his summer at the Mariners alternate site roughing up “B-Team” pitchers. Kelenic will get his chance to make the team in spring training. The M’s phenom will play for Seattle in 2021 but don’t be surprised if he starts the season in Triple-A.
That’s a wrap on our Seattle Mariners review/preview. Please checkout the Parts one through five on our Mariners team page.