Seattle Mariners 2021 Grades: Part 2 – Outfielders
Chris Phillips
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The Incompletes
Due to limited action in 2021, the following players get a grade of incomplete.
Kyle Lewis – The 2020 Rookie of the Year only played in 36 games in 2021. A knee injury limited Lewis’s availability. His overall game was definitely missing from the Seattle Mariners lineup, especially at the plate. It’s not hard to envision an outfield lineup, from left to right field; Kelenic, Lewis, and Haniger and not get excited.
Jake Bauers – For a hot minute, it appeared the M’s “unlocked” Jake Bauers, and he would be the starting first baseman for years to come. Then the league caught back up, and Bauers looks like a big-league bench player.
Bauers’ profile is similar to Evan White because they are both glove-first players with their bats lagging behind. He did, however, double as a serviceable outfielder playing in over 40 games.
Taylor Trammell – Trammell is a highly touted prospect who came to the Mariners organization as part of the Austin Nola trade. Out of spring trainingTrammell made the Seattle Mariners’ big-league roster. He had trouble hitting his weight and spent the end of 2021 in the minors.
There is still much development to be done if Trammell will be anything more than a defensive replacement outfielder. He’s a player with speed and power, which he occasionally displayed this year. The problem was that Trammell didn’t display enough of either as he struggled mightily to put the bat on the ball.
Right Field
Mitch Haniger (123 games), Dylan Moore (9 games), Jake Fraley (6 games), and Jake Bauers (23 games)
Featuring: Mitch Haniger
Offense: B-
Haniger set a career-high in home runs and RBI’s. However, his overall batting average was career-low (excluding years where he didn’t reach 300 at-bats). His 2021 batting profile looks similar to someone selling out for the all-or-nothing approach.
Defense: B
Haniger made three errors during the year. Two in the same game. He also compiled three outfield assists and 270 putouts. Overall, he plays an above-average right field.
Intangibles: C+
I struggled with this grade. On the one hand, what Haniger did being two years removed from baseball was incredible. He battled through a ruptured testicle, torn adductor in the lower core area, herniated disc, and back surgery. So, for him to have the year he did (playing 157 of 162 games) is impressive and wins him the Comeback Player of the Year Award in any other year. This year that honor likely goes to cancer survivor Trey Mancini.
On the other hand, Haniger hit .253 saw an increase in strikeouts and a decrease in walks. Over the last month, he batted .255 with nine homers, 24 RBI, 7 walks, and 29 strikeouts. Not what Mariners fans should expect from their best player.