Seattle Mariners: August batter and pitcher of the month
What a year for the Seattle Mariners. The chance to make the playoffs is still within range. Let’s take a look at the the Mariners top performers in the month of August.
Quick Recap of August
August was another mediocre month for the Mariners. It was a bit more streaky, but in the end, it was very mediocre as they finished the month 15-13. It was also another month where the Mariners had a negative run differential. However, statistically, the biggest Mariners team-related item was that they managed to have their first losing month in one-run games (3-7).
Offensive Player of the Month: Ty France
- Batting Average: .348
- On Base + Slugging (OPS): .947
Tale of Steady Improvement
Since an abysmal May where he hit .190 in an injury-shortened month, he has steadily improved. In June, he hit .276, July .319, but August was his best month of the season. He led the Mariners with a .348 batting average, slugged 6 home runs (career-high), and managed a .947 OPS.
Ty France has filled in admirably at first base in addition to his fantastic hitting effort. He’s a patient hitter that works the count. When France takes the first pitch, he has a .312 average on the season.
One of Dipoto’s Best Mariners’ Trades
France was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 34th round out of San Diego State in 2015. He showed off tremendous hitting prowess as he accelerated through the minor leagues. France showed a good contact rate with some power. In 2019, he took off. In 296 at-bats, the infielder batted .399 with 27 home runs while at Triple-A El Paso. That earned him a promotion to the Padres, where he had another 201 at-bats.
In what has turned out to be a steal, the Mariners acquired Ty France, Luis Torrens, and Andre Munoz for Austin Nola and a couple of relievers. Torrens is a slightly below-average defensive catcher that calls an excellent game and has a decent bat. Munoz is a future closer in the making, but France is an absolute gem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1VKSsp-Bv0
Pitcher of the Month: Marco Gonzales
- ERA: 1.58
- W-L Record: 3-0
Earned Ace Status in 2020, 2021 Started Poorly
Marco Gonzales is currently the Seattle Mariners’ most tenured starting pitcher. After a remarkable 2020 where he led the majors in strikeout-to-walk ratio at 9.04, the southpaw locked himself in as the Mariner’s ace. However, a brutal April, followed by a trip to the IL that knocked him out until June, wasn’t the start the M’s expected. Especially with James Paxton going down for the season in his first start.
Incredible August Showed Pinpoint Control Once Again
Gonzales appeared to have turned it around in June, where he made four decent starts but finished without a win. July turned out to be as brutal as April, except that he won 2 of his starts. In August, Marco finished 3-0 in 6 starts, which included a complete game. He walked only 6 in 40 innings and finished with a 4.5 strikeout-to-walk ratio which was good enough for a spot in the American League top 10.
Pinpoint control defined Marco’s 2020 season, and August was a month for him to show off that outstanding command again.
Highly Touted Prospect
The Colorado Rockies selected Marco in the 29th round of the 2010 MLB draft out of high school. He wisely elected to go to Gonzaga instead. In the 2013 MLB draft, St. Louis drafted him in the first round (19th overall). He made his debut just a year later.
Acquired near the 2017 trade deadline for outfielder Tyler O’Neil, it’s still a question about which team got the better end of the deal. The former Mariners prospect is in the middle of a breakout season, batting .273 with 21 home runs and a .846 OPS. He still strikes out an awful lot, but the prodigious power is definitely there, and he’s only 26.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUS8UZb4q9g
Joe Swenson is an author, playwright, and massive sports fan.