JP Crawford, Seattle Mariners.
You would think in a week where the Seattle Mariners go 3-4 and put up ten or more hits three times, their batting average would’ve been much better. With Jarred Kelenic mired in a massive 0-for stretch and Kyle Seager struggling, the team’s batting average was only .227. Yet .227 seems like a whole lot better than the under .200 they were at two weeks ago.
Despite continued offensive troubles, the Seattle Mariners had some really stellar performances overall. While the three stars this week are all offensive players, the starting pitching was decent enough. Hopefully, the injury to Yusei Kikuchi isn’t long-term, as the M’s rotation can’t sustain another long-term injury.
Donovan Walton – .316 avg, 1.014 OPS, 2 HRs, and 5 RBI.
Donovan Walton had a great week in 19 at-bats. He managed six hits; three of them went for extra bases. He also accounted for five runs, five RBI, and threw in a stolen base for good measure. His ability to get on base and drive in runs was integral to the offensive success of the Mariners.
Justus Sheffield – 5.2 Innings, 7 Ks, 2 earned runs on 2 solo home runs.
If Justus Sheffield could find a way to be more efficient, he’d be in a much better position than sitting at 5-4 with a 4.77 ERA on the season. His outing on Thursday in the opening game of the Angels series was really good. The bullpen on that day was outstanding, and the offense put up 6 runs on 11 hits.
Sheffield put up two solid outings in a row and three out of his last four. He still hasn’t matched what he did on May 2 vs. the Angels, where he went six innings without giving up a run. Beggars can’t be choosers, right?
11 Innings, 12 Ks, 7 hits, and 1 win.
Other than giving up a lead-off home run to Justin Upton, which led to a nearly disastrous first inning meltdown, Logan Gilbert looked solid on Sunday. He was able to get out of that trouble and then hit cruise control. The rookie cleared 100 pitches for the first time in his professional career.
It was cool that Shohei Ohtani didn’t get his bat on Gilbert’s pitches. The M’s offense responded, supporting him with 9 runs (five of which came in the ninth) on 10 hits. Congratulations to Gilbert on his first win.
Gilbert’s ERA dropped from 9.45 to 7.59 to 5.94 to 4.99 over his last three starts. The previous two were strong enough to showcase his talent. He has a mid-to-upper 90s fastball and a nearly unhittable curve when it’s down in the zone. The outing wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. He walked four Angels but managed to escape without any of them coming around to score en route to the win.
.370 avg, 1.073 OPS, 10 hits, 6 XBH, 6 runs scored.
The decision between J.P. Crawford and the player who was the Star of the Week was close. JP was the table-setter most of the week. After beating up on LAA pitching the last four games, he is batting .522 against the Halos in 2021. To say he’s owned them so far this year is an understatement.
Crawford also had a team season-high five5 doubles during Week 10’s action. In addition, he managed to knock in five runs while scoring six. For good measure, JP also added a steal.
Having Crawford at the top of the line-up works right now. If he can stay hot and Mitch Haniger gets things going again, then it’s going to be a strong top of the order. Throw in the fact that Kelenic can’t bat around .100 forever, and Crawford could score a lot more runs very soon. It’s not like Haniger was terrible this week. He batted .259 but didn’t have a walk and struck out eight times.
.263 average, 1.113 OPS, 2 Home runs, 8 RBI, .481 OBP (8 walks).
Jake Fraley had a great week and continues to torture opposing pitchers. He has a .500 on-base percentage this season, thanks to 16 walks. But his 8 RBI, including a grand slam and a three-run home run this week against the Angels, was worth the price of admission.
Unfortunately, his Saturday evening grand slam ended up being a lost cause. The game went to pot when Kikuchi got hit on the leg. But his three-run dinger on Thursday night was enough to be the game-winner for M’s early in the series.
He has an interesting, somewhat obtuse personality, but he takes baseball to heart and gets very excited when things go his way. Momentum is so important, and Fraley showed he rises to the occasion so far.
Fraley has some remarkable statistical performances so far. His ability to get on base is absolutely amazing. Is his current on-base situation sustainable? Of course not, but also his history will tell you that a massive correction is due for his ability to draw walks, and an improvement in hitting is order as well.
In 2019, his MLB effort was dismal, but between AA Arkansas and AAA Tacoma, he batted .298 with 19 home runs in 382 minor league at-bats. Combined between Tacoma and Seattle, Fraley is batting .274 with four home runs and 21 walks, resulting in a .500 on-base percentage overall and a .912 OPS. If he can produce those kinds of numbers with the Mariners, he should see more playing time going forward.
Joe Swenson is a lifelong Seattle sports fan and an awarding-winning playwright, director, author, actor, and producer. You can view his work at www.brokenartsentertainment.com.