Seattle Mariners 3 Heroes of the Week – through 7/27/20
This article is the first installment of our Mariners Three Heroes of the Week for 2020. We honor the M’s best players over the previous seven days (or in this case four).
Introducing a new segment to honor the Seattle Mariners coming off a 1–3 start to the season is difficult. The young M’s had more than they could handle with the defending American League Champions and their arsenal of offensive weapons. At least Seattle broke their 15-game losing streak against the Astros.
There were some M’s who stood out, despite getting outscored 29–16 in the four-game series.
Dishonorable Mention – Mallex Smith
We don’t let people off the hook. Any number of pitchers could be on this list. However, it’s an understatement to say Mallex Smith struggled at the plate as he went 1 for 11. Additionally, his defense was shaky in right field.
Honorable Mention – Rick Rizzs
As much as anyone else in this organization, Rick Rizzs entertains the fans. He kept all of Seattle Mariners Nation in the games even when the team was getting crushed at times. That couldn’t have been easy, considering he called the game from a monitor over 2,000 miles away.
No. 3 Hero – J.P. Crawford
Seattle’s shortstop had a great week, including a fantastic 3 for 4 performance on Saturday, which included a pair of triples. For the series, J.P. Crawford had five walks and four hits. Most importantly, he scored three times.
No. 2 Hero – Kyle Seager
The Seattle Mariners’ most tenured player led the team by example. He went yard with a solo shot against Justin Verlander on Opening Day to give the M’s a temporary 2–1 lead in the fourth inning. Kyle Seager is off to a hot start, going 5 for 13 with four extra-base hits and three RBI. If the third baseman can stay close to this kind of production in 2020, the M’s will be a very formidable opponent this season.
No. 1 Hero – Kyle Lewis
Our top hero of the did almost everything right over the weekend. Kyle Lewis homered in the first two games off two outstanding pitchers, Verlander and Lance McCullers Jr. The rookie followed that performance by driving in two runs on Sunday, including the eventual game-winner.
Lewis stood out in Monday’s loss as well. He had two hits in that game to keep his .400 batting average intact. All totaled, the rookie center fielder went 6 for 15 with a pair of homers, three walks, and four RBI.
Editor’s Note: Normally, we consider the baseball week over on Sunday and publish this article on Monday. With the four-game wraparound series in Houston to open the season, we decided to wait a day.
Who were your Seattle Mariners heroes this week? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.