Seattle Mariners: The M’s most important player in 2022 is…
Jarred Kelenic (Chris)
Jarred Kelenic is billed as one of the top prospects in the game and a cornerstone of the Seattle Mariners’ future core. His rookie year was less than good. However, his end-of-the-year run is promising. He needs to carry his August and September rise over into the upcoming season (provided there is one).
The second most important Seattle Mariner is Abraham Toro. As of this writing (this could age horrifyingly, he’s most likely set to be the M’s starting third baseman. Toro ended the year on a cold streak. Hopefully, he performs closer to the beginning of his Seattle Mariners tenure. If he can’t secure a starting spot or at the very least be a contributing role player, then the trade to acquire him will look bad.
Jarred Kelenic comes up CLUTCH!
The @Mariners take the lead in the 6th inning! pic.twitter.com/A2ldNaIawV
— ROOT SPORTS™ | NW (@ROOTSPORTS_NW) September 30, 2021
Ty France (Ed)
Although pitching is important for me, I think it has to be someone who plays nearly every day. I chose Ty France over J.P. Crawford and Jarred Kelenic.
During his 2020 cup of coffee in Seattle, France, showed he could hit for average and get on base. He picked it up in 2021 as a full-time player leading the M’s in batting average, on-base percentage, OPS, and WAR. If there was one player M’s Manager Scott Servais could count on for offensive production, it was France day in and day out.
What no one expected from him was the outstanding defensive effort he put forth last season. Replacing injured Gold-Glove winner Evan White, France was nearly flawless at first base. His importance to the Mariners isn’t tied to that position.
If White can exceed the sub-Mendoza numbers he had over his first two MLB seasons at the plate, France can easily move to second or third base, and his team is all the better for it. If White doesn’t come back and improve, the Mariners can rest easy knowing that first base is covered.