Seattle, WA
Breaking down Mariners position players, projecting opening day roster
Joyful first day of spring baseball, everybody! With the Mariners starting their exhibition slate on Friday, now could be pretty much as good a time as any to debate the staff’s projected opening day starters and which place gamers will probably be preventing to assert one of many 13 roster spots.
Mariners’ Dipoto: Early ‘pen standouts, Hummel’s versatility, Miller’s ceiling
Beneath you’ll discover a position-by-position breakdown of Seattle’s roster in addition to a have a look at those that are on the bubble.
Catcher: Cal Raleigh
Raleigh’s turnaround in 2022 was astonishing. He went from being an entire legal responsibility on the plate to delivering a 4.2 fWAR season, largely because of his 27 homers and 121 wRC+. Raleigh was so spectacular that anticipating one other large leap in 2023 would doubtless be too grasping. Establishment and one other 4-plus fWAR season would cement him as one of many sport’s high catchers.
The large factor for Raleigh is to get him to opening day wholesome. Seattle is more likely to take issues gradual with their prized backstop given he completed final season with a painful thumb harm.
First Base: Ty France
France has indicated that his wrist harm plagued his swing down the stretch of final season. I’ve seen sufficient from France to belief that he’ll bounce again to his first-half kind that made him an All-Star in 2022. Protecting France wholesome will probably be paramount.
Second Base: Kolten Wong
Wong managed to be a 2.5-win participant in 2022 regardless of having the worst season of his profession defensively. His glove ought to bounce again given he’s a two-time gold glove winner, and now he’s obtained Perry Hill in his nook.
Seattle will want his bat to remain scorching although if he’s going to be a marked improve over Adam Frazier. Wong posted a 117 wRC+ and 15 house runs in 2022. Frazier managed simply three lengthy balls and a meager wRC+ of simply 81. As certainly one of solely two notable offseason additions to the lineup, there’s stress on Wong to ship.
Shortstop: J.P. Crawford
Each of Seattle’s center infielders are coming off dreadful seasons defensively. Crawford ought to bounce again identical to Wong given he was such a wizard defensively in 2020 and 2021. His bat is more likely to hover round league common, and whereas I’d want to have extra firepower offensively up the center, Crawford has sufficient management intangibles to make up for a few of his shortcomings on the plate.
Third Base: Eugenio Suárez
Suárez might be Seattle’s largest regression candidate following his stellar 31-homer, 4.1 fWAR marketing campaign in 2022. However when you’re searching for a glass-half-full strategy you may argue that he’s merely regained kind following two subpar seasons in 2020 and 2021 by which he posted a mixed fWAR of simply 1.0.
Previous to that, Suárez posted fWAR seasons of three.9, 4.3 and 4.2 from 2017-19, respectively. He was as nice a shock as any Mariners place participant that I can keep in mind. Suárez was a throw-in wage dump within the Jesse Winker commerce final spring and ended up being a catalyst for Seattle’s run into the postseason.
Suárez remaining a potent middle-of-the-order bat will probably be paramount as soon as once more in 2023.
Left Discipline: Jarred Kelenic
The wild card of all wild playing cards. Sports activities Illustrated’s Tom Verducci thinks Kelenic is “prime for a turnaround” in 2023. I can’t get myself to look by means of these rose-colored glasses. I don’t have any expectations for Kelenic given his monitor report the final two seasons, however I do agree with Verducci in that Seattle’s embattled outfielder has the ability set to realistically change the ability construction within the American League West.
I’m of the thought that it’s Kelenic’s eyes and mind which have hindered him greater than his swing. He at all times appears to be going 12 rounds with himself mentally whereas concurrently being unable to acknowledge and find large league breaking balls. Nonetheless, if his new swing makes him faster to the baseball it’s doubtless that he’ll be capable of catch as much as extra hittable fastballs that he has beforehand swung by means of or fouled off.
I actually hope that is the 12 months for Kelenic. There’s little question he’s put within the work to search out large league success, and he’ll have each alternative to take action.
Middle Discipline: Julio Rodríguez
We don’t must spend a lot time right here. Rodríguez is predicted to be a high AL MVP candidate, and there’s no cause why he can’t win it this season. Final 12 months’s again points had been a bit troubling, and it makes me nervous that he’ll be enjoying within the World Baseball Basic.
Nonetheless, it will likely be awfully enjoyable to look at Rodríguez proceed his ascension on a worldwide stage figuring out that he’s already signed a mega-extension to maintain him in Seattle for no less than the subsequent decade.
Proper Discipline: Teoscar Hernández
Hernández needs to be an improve over Mitch Haniger, and staying wholesome for a full season can be an enormous bonus in that regard. Nonetheless, if Haniger performs an injury-free season for the Giants, it wouldn’t shock me if he ended up with the higher numbers in 2023.
Designated Hitter: Tom Murphy
I could also be misreading the tea leaves right here, however I get the sensation that the staff internally believes in Murphy’s bat and that perception performed a task in Seattle opting to not signal a extra conventional DH this offseason. Murphy posted an otherworldly wRC+ of 168 in simply 14 video games final season.
This spot will probably be a sum of the elements with France, Hernández, A.J. Pollock, Raleigh and doubtlessly others chipping in.
On the Bench: Dylan Moore, Sam Haggerty, A.J. Pollock
Moore (core) being harm might open up a gap day roster spot for any person else. Haggerty’s velocity, defensive versatility and sneaky pop towards lefties make him too invaluable to go away off the roster. Pollock is the staff’s high insurance coverage in left subject ought to Kelenic falter once more. His begins will doubtless come towards lefties as further safety for Kelenic, who has struggled towards left-handers the final two seasons.
On the Bubble: Evan White, Tommy La Stella, Cooper Hummel
My intestine tells me that La Stella’s roster spot is protected, however I put him down right here as a result of if White or Hummel are to power themselves onto the Opening Day roster, it might be at La Stella’s expense. Hummel in all probability has as a greater shot than White, who will virtually assuredly begin in Triple-A with a purpose to get him most at-bats.
Gonna Take a Miracle: Cade Marlowe, Kole Calhoun
A miracle, or a number of accidents, that’s. Taylor Trammell additionally gained’t have the chance to interrupt camp with the massive league membership because of his damaged hamate bone.
Extra Mariners roster speak from Joe:
• Fann: A have a look at Mariners’ rotation that needs to be high 5 in MLB
• Fann: Mariners’ high spring coaching competitors resides in bullpen
After years of being pitching-heavy on the prospect front, the Seattle Mariners finally have a glut of position player prospects to be excited about.
Cole Young, Colt Emerson, Jonny Farmelo, Michael Arroyo and Laz Montes are all generating real buzz for the Mariners and could make up the next core of the organization.
However, there’s one under-the-radar prospect also generating buzz and that’s third baseman Ben Williamson.
And according to a recent story from the Seattle Times, Williamson could get an opportunity to make the team out of spring training.
Third baseman Ben Williamson, 24, is expected to get a chance in spring training too after a solid season in Arkansas. In 95 games at Class AA this year, Williamson slashed .272/.365/.374 (.739 OPS) with three homers, two triples, 23 doubles and 15 steals.
A second-round pick in 2023, Williamson has earned a reputation as one of the best defensive third baseman in the minors.
In an offseason defined, so far, by their inaction, the Mariners remain on the prowl for two new infielders. What will they do? What can they afford to do? @A_Jude explores: https://t.co/6yLXpzwY5h
— Seattle Times Sports (@SeaTimesSports) December 28, 2024
The Mariners are said to be looking for two infielders this offseason. Should they fill first base and second base externally, they could look to third base internally. Dylan Moore is an option to assume that position, but the team could give Williamson a shot out of camp, or could bring him up early in the year if he starts well in the minors.
Williamson is currently ranked as the No. 15 prospect in the organization, per MLB.com. He was drafted in the second round out of William & Mary back in the 2023 draft.
Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on “X” @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady. You can subscribe to the “Refuse to Lose” podcast by clicking HERE.
(2021 reader photo by Claire)
On Tuesday night, some will stay home with a bottle of bubbly (inflatable or otherwise) to say goodbye to 2024. Others will head out. And if that’s your plan, all the better if you can celebrate right here on the peninsula. So we want to be sure our Holiday Guide‘s New Year’s list has all the options. If you know of something we’re missing – bar party? live music? late dinner with a midnight toast? organized run? or? – please send the info so we can add it to the list ASAP! westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you.
Seattle’s longest-running bar is set to close its doors at the end of the year. The historic site is known for its ghost stories, pressed-tin ceiling, and buckboard floors in the heart of Pioneer Square. There are murmurs the bar could reopen after a renovation in spring, but that’s still uncertain.
In the Merchant’s basement, daylight shines down through the small purple glass windows in the sidewalk above. The city’s oldest saloon sits at a main intersection of the city’s oldest neighborhood, forever tied to Seattle’s history.
First opened in 1890 before moving to its current spot in 1907, Merchant’s originally offered gambling and a brothel during Seattle’s early gritty days. Bartenders there say the current owners plan to close the bar next week.
“I had to let everyone go, it was pretty sudden,” says Anthony Powell, a supervisor and manager at Merchant’s. “I just told everyone: ‘work ‘til the end of the year and that’s it.’”
One bartender who got hired less than six months ago says he got almost no notice that Friday would be his last shift. That’s the nature of the business, he shrugged.
Powell says he got word from owner Darcy Hanson in early December that the bar would be closing. Hanson did not respond to KUOW’s requests for comment. There are rumors among the remaining staff that the owners want to renovate the interior and re-open the historic watering hole in the spring, but nothing’s been confirmed.
Few bars in Seattle carry the ambiance that Merchant’s offers. A giant, century-old wooden bar stretches along one side of the room. Hardwood floors worn smooth by over a hundred years of patrons and partiers. According to the bar’s website, nearly everything in the place is haunted, from the paintings on the wall to the wall of wine bottles.
After decades of serving Seattle, Merchant’s is starting to show its age. Powell says some parts of the saloon do need updating.
“I mean, it’s the oldest bar in Seattle,” Powell says looking over the barroom. “Our electrical is shot behind this bar completely, the coolers are over 35 years old. A lot of stuff doesn’t work.”
That’s the charm that comes with a place as old as the cobblestones out on Yesler Street. Merchant’s, a dive bar according to Powell, doesn’t feature fancy lighting or a new sound system like the nightclubs around the corner. In one smoky corner of Merchant’s, deep leather couches almost disappear in the shadows.
Stepping down the stairs to the bathroom is like stepping back in time. The exposed rock walls feel like a private cellar or speakeasy. Pioneer Square’s signature purple glass sidewalk windows can be seen clearly down here, a view you can usually only find during an underground tour.
Powell, who has worked at Merchant’s for a little over four years, says business has been pretty slow recently. Like a lot of neighborhoods in Seattle, Pioneer Square is struggling to attract more customers. The pandemic didn’t help a sleepy bar like Merchant’s.
Still, Powell says, the bar is a regular stop for sports fans heading to the nearby stadiums and tourists who want to experience a piece of Seattle history. A lot of people come in to raise a glass just to say they’ve had a drink at the spot, Powell says.
This month, the bar had its busiest weekends of the year thanks to the annual SantaCon pub crawl. Powell says he was hoping they would be open next year when SantaCon organizers want to extend the event to all four Saturdays of December – but it looks like that won’t happen.
Merchant’s is hosting a farewell party on Monday, December 30. Powell says he’ll be working with longtime bartender Michael Harris to pour the final drinks at the oldest place in town.
“It was a great experience, I loved it,” Powell says, “the people that come through are really great. You meet a lot of people around the world, because it’s a tourist bar, they love to come here. So I’m sad to see it go for sure.”
Tennessee OL John Campbell Jr. declares for 2025 NFL Draft
Tornadoes touch down in Texas and Mississippi, killing two and injuring six others
Utah authorities seek those responsible for damaging panel of ancient outdoor engravings
The US State That Produces The Most Maple Syrup By A Million Gallons – Chowhound
Online poll will decide name of Virginia zoo’s newest baby pygmy hippo
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
Why Marjorie Taylor Greene was ‘kicked out’ of the Freedom Caucus according to Rep. Buck
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
State attorneys general ask SCOTUS to uphold TikTok divest-or-ban law amid Trump request to pause ban
Plane veers off runway and crashes in S Korea, killing at least 29: Report
Houston hit by multiple tornadoes, leaving one dead
Race to succeed Rep. Elise Stefanik in upstate New York heats up with new challenger
US expected to announce $1.25bln military aid package for Ukraine
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24924653/236780_Google_AntiTrust_Trial_Custom_Art_CVirginia__0003_1.png "Google’s counteroffer to the government trying to break it up is unbundling Android apps")
Technology1 week agoGoogle’s counteroffer to the government trying to break it up is unbundling Android apps
-
News1 week agoNovo Nordisk shares tumble as weight-loss drug trial data disappoints
-
Politics1 week agoIllegal immigrant sexually abused child in the U.S. after being removed from the country five times
-
Entertainment1 week ago'It's a little holiday gift': Inside the Weeknd's free Santa Monica show for his biggest fans
-
Lifestyle1 week agoThink you can't dance? Get up and try these tips in our comic. We dare you!
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25672934/Metaphor_Key_Art_Horizontal.png "There’s a reason Metaphor: ReFantanzio’s battle music sounds as cool as it does")
Technology4 days agoThere’s a reason Metaphor: ReFantanzio’s battle music sounds as cool as it does
-
News5 days agoFrance’s new premier selects Eric Lombard as finance minister
-
Business3 days agoOn a quest for global domination, Chinese EV makers are upending Thailand's auto industry