Seattle Mariners must fire hitting coach Tim Laker before it’s too late
Chris Phillips
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The Seattle Mariners are the worst-hitting team in MLB this year. They continue their downward trend that started when Tim Laker became the M’s hitting coach in 2019. He has to go.
Let’s face it, as a team, the Seattle Mariners once again look lost at the plate this year. The M’s team batting average ranks dead last in the American League. *facepalm.* The offense wasn’t racking up video game numbers before the team’s recent troubles, but they were coming through with enough timely hits.
Those days have passed. The team’s bats have largely been silent over the last few weeks. Even if they do pick up a tick, Seattle’s offense is still way behind the norm.
Kyle Seager and Ty France started the season hot, but their bats have gone cold. Friday, France went on the injured list. Meanwhile, Dylan Moore and J.P. Crawford picked their hitting up. It’d be nice if those guys kept hitting while the former guys got back to where they were.
Facts
The only fairly consistent hitter this year is Mitch Haniger. But like his teammates, Mitch swings at too many bad pitches. This season the M’s combined total of hits and walks is just 11 more than their number of strikeouts. Here are the grim facts (as of Saturday).
- Batting Average, 30th – .205
- On Base Percentage, 30th – .281
- Hits, 28th – 251
- OPS, 28th – .651
- Slugging Percentage, 25th – .370
Bats need new management
It’s time to replace hitting coach Tim Laker. Under Laker, the team has hit .237, .226, and, currently, .204. Maybe Laker should be the pitching coach because his coaching has those Seattle Mariners’ numbers going the right way for a pitcher, not a hitter. Then again, Laker had a career .226 batting average over 11 seasons and 651 at-bats.
The M’s previous hitting coach had much better results. With Hall of Famer Edgar Martinez in charge of Seattle batters, the team hit a combined .257; with seasons of .259, .259, and .254.
It’s sad Mariners fans are longing for the team to hit .250. But in the world of all-or-nothing outcomes at the dish (strikeout, walk, or home run), .250 isn’t so bad. The last time the Seattle Mariners batted over .260 in a season was 2008 (.265).
Wrap up
Edger doesn’t have to come back, but Laker’s approach clearly isn’t working. A final point. The M’s are a very young team with tons of potential. The older someone gets, the harder it is to break bad habits. Either manager Scott Servais or GM Jerry Dipoto needs to pull the trigger on a new hitting coach. If they don’t, not only could the season get away from them, but the younger hitters could work themselves into a hole that they may not recover from.
How'bout this: In the last 160 games, the Mariners have been no hit THREE times. Starting with the Angels combined no hitter on 7/12/19
— Dave “Softy” Mahler (@Softykjr) May 5, 2021
Do you think the Seattle Mariners need a new hitting coach? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.