The Seattle Mariners aren’t done with Shed Long Jr. just yet.
After disastrous 2020, many in Seattle Mariners Nation wrote off second baseman Shed Long Jr. According to manager Scott Servais that may be premature.
To say that Shed Long Jr.‘s 2020 season didn’t go as he or the Seattle Mariners hoped it would is a huge understatement. He was supposed to be Seattle’s spark at the top of the order. Instead, Long struggled mightily.
The season began on July 24 with him in the leadoff spot. Four games later, Long was in the bottom third of the batting order with a .188 batting average. By the end of August, his average dropped to .170, and as a result, was taken out of the lineup.
Long only played two games in September. He was placed on the injured on the 10th with a stress fracture in his right shin. That ended his season with a slash line of .171/.242/.291/.533.
Long’s injury was worse than anyone thought it was. Less than two weeks later, he underwent surgery to repair the damage. Apparently, the young second baseman was bothered by his leg since spring training. Why it so long to figure out the problem is a different story.
In his place, both Dylan Moore and Ty France excelled at the plate. It seemed like a foregone conclusion one of the two, most likely Moore would be the Seattle Mariners 2021 Opening Day second baseman. Meanwhile, Long either gets garbage time as a bench player and defensive placement, traded away, or heads back to Triple-A.
Not so fast.
Spring Battle Coming
In a recent Skype call with the media, M’s manager Scott Servais said Long still has a chance to be the team’s second baseman.
Dylan Moore had an outstanding offensive season. He plays all over the field, it’s a great strength of his and one that’s nice to have as a manager. We don’t want to take that away from him. We’ll give both the guys reps in spring training and see how it plays out. – Scott Sevais
Taking advantage of Moore’s versatility will be a priority. He could just as easily play as much in the outfield as he does in the infield. Right now, Jake Fraley is first on the depth chart in left field. Especially if Long has a great spring. As for France, Servais envisions him as a designated hitter.
Should he come into spring training fully healthy and ready to compete, Long has two things going for him. First, he’s a much better defensive player. Second, Long is a lefty bat on a primarily right-handed hitting team.
Do you think the Seattle Mariners should give Shed Long Jr. another chance to win the second base job? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.