Seattle Mariners 2021 Grades: Part 1 – Infielders
Joe Swenson
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Second Base
Games Played: Dylan Moore (66 games), Abraham Toro (58), Ty France (21), Donovan Walton (14), and three others.
Featuring: Abraham Toro
Offense: C
With Seattle, Abraham Toro batted .252 with a .695 OPS in 60 games. He exhibited some power but also showed his contact consistency, striking out 14.6% of the time.
Defense: C+
His .975 fielding percentage at second base included five errors. In addition, his range factor was average for Major League second baseman.
Intangibles: C+
The 24-year-old that came over in the Graveman trade made a mark right off, but his power went away. He shored up the defense, but his range factor kept most of his work average, despite a stronger than average throwing arm. He is one of the youngest Mariners on the team and will look to build on a successful campaign in 2022.
Shortstop
Games Played: J.P. Crawford (160 games) also Dylan Moore, and Donovan Walton.
Featuring: J.P. Crawford
Offense: B-
The formerly light-hitting shortstop started the season at the back of the line-up but eventually moved up to stay. He finished with 108 games from the leadoff spot and batted .281 with a .734 OPS from the top of the line-up.
Defense: A
Crawford was second in the league in range factor and #7 in Defensive Runs Saved. No one was better than Houston’s Carlos Correa this season, and it would be quite the upset if JP won his second consecutive gold glove over Correa.
Intangibles: B+
He’s becoming a clubhouse leader. Crawford’s energy and effort in the field show that he’s one of the rebuilt Seattle Mariners’ core players. In addition, he deserves a full season from the leadoff spot.