Dylan Moore, Seattle Mariners.
Dylan Moore, Seattle Mariners.
There is something about a player that keeps pushing back no matter what challenges arise. That is the story of Seattle Mariners‘ super-utility player Dylan Moore. Before making his MLB debut in 2019, Moore struggled to reach the upper echelon. He had been traded, released, and let go several times while in the minors. That’s not exactly the story of most Major Leaguers players. Through all the adversity, Moore kept coming back.
Moore signed a minor league free agent contract with Seattle in November of 2018. He made it onto a major league field the following March as part of the Seattle Mariners’ opening series against Oakland, in Japan. In his wildest dreams, Moore couldn’t have imagined making his first MLB appearance over 5,500 miles from his hometown in Placentia, California. An unexpected development in an untraditional career.
It wasn’t until March 30th at home in the newly minted T-Mobile Field that Moore became a recognized name in the M’s community. This was his first start for the Mariners. The rookie went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. If that wasn’t bad enough, he made three errors, back-to-back-to-back, with two outs in the ninth inning. It was an embarrassing debut in front of the home fans. Moore was a minor league free agent, Seattle could cut him without anyone really noticing. Yet, Moore kept coming back.
Dylan Moore, Seattle Mariners.
When you take out that one fateful inning on March 30th, Moore had 6 errors over the 676 other innings he played. One error every 12.5 full games. To keep that in perspective, Francisco Lindor won a Gold Glove with an error every 13.3 games at shortstop.
Whether it was a matter of getting over the rookie jitters or some more magic worked by infield guru, Perry Hill, he turned it around. Moore was the kind of player who got as much extra work in as he could. In 2019, he played every fielding position except catcher. In the end, Moore proved to be a versatile and competent defender across the entire field. No mention of his 36.00 ERA will be made here.
For a while, Moore seemed to profile as a defensive substitute and pinch-runner. A player that a well-built team could use every now and then at the end of a game. With a career OPS that has hovered around .700 last year, Moore didn’t necessarily fit the mold of a player who needs to be in the starting lineup every day. However, he perfectly fits the role of a utility player who isn’t a liability to the team anytime his bat is in the lineup.
This year the 28-year-old has hit more line drives and fewer popups so far. His performance shows that he made some significant, positive adjustments over the extended offseason. Moore just might be coming into his own this year. His potential growth into a super-utility player could be huge for the Mariners (think 2017 Marwin Gonzalez or 2001 Mark McLemore).
Nonetheless, he is off to a great start in 2020 with a .313 batting average and 1.023 OPS. Those numbers point to a player who will stick around for a while.
Dylan Moore, Seattle Mariners.
Even with how modern baseball contracts work, Moore is still making only $560k per year through at least the end of 2021. After that, he is under Seattle Mariners’ control for three more years. It might be hard for him to make over $1M until 2023 or 2024. Moore also has all three of his minor league options available. Meaning in a roster pinch, the M’s can send him down to the minors. The way he has played this season makes a demotion unlikely, but still possible.
Moore is one of the few Seattle Mariners who has hit consistently this year. Second baseman Shed Long is batting under the Mendoza line at .192. Outfielders Dee Gordon and Mallex Smith hover around .150, while first baseman Evan White is at .105, and designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach is batting .103. Keeping Moore in the lineup should be a no-brainer for manager Scott Servais.
Over the grind of a regular Major League Baseball season, perseverance is key. Perseverance is also an important part of rebuilding a team. Dylan Moore’s baseball career is the individual personification perseverance. Since his debut, Moore has a proven ability to grow, adapt, and fill in any role the team needs. While he may never be an all-star, he needs to be on this Seattle Mariners team for years to come.
How do you feel about Dylan Moore and his rise to become one of the Seattle Mariners’ best hitters in 2020? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.