Seattle Mariners bats are worse than we thought but there is a fix
There is no easy way to put it, but anyone watching knows the truth. The Seattle Mariners batters are terrible this year.
Recently, one of my Pacific Northwest Sports colleagues, Chris Phillips, wrote an article on the need to fire batting coach Tim Laker before it’s too late. I couldn’t agree more, based on everything that Phillips wrote. There’s more, though. Firing Laker and hiring a new batting coach will fix things permanently, but it is a necessary move.
Facts
After Tuesday’s no-hitter (second of the season against the M’s), Seattle’s batting average dropped below .200. From an on-base perspective, they are getting on at a .279 clip, which is also rock bottom of the league. The Mariners lineup features seven hitters with at least 80 plate appearances and a batting average below .186.
M’s super prospect Jarred Kelenic played in seven games, with hits in three of them. His batting average is an uninspiring .179 with a .233 on base percentage.
When the Mariners can get players on base, the dynamic changes. With runners on base, they bat .256. The M’s get even better when they advance a runner into scoring position. In those situations, the team batting average jumps to 267.
The batting splits reveal an even more infuriating effort. At home, Seattle is batting .178 while striking at 32.9 percent of the time. When swinging at the first pitch, Seattle is batting .183 in 42 at-bats and has a .210 on-base percentage. It doesn’t matter whether the M’s are facing a starting pitcher or a reliever. Those numbers are absolutely atrocious.