Seattle, WA
Donovan Solano's resurgence helps Seattle Mariners in 2 ways
This is the version of Donovan Solano the Seattle Mariners were patiently waiting for.
The first baseman had another big day at the plate for the M’s in their 14-6 win over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. Solano hit a pair of home runs – just his fourth multi-homer game in 960 career games – and drove in five runs in a three-hit day at Wrigley Field.
Highlights: Seattle Mariners slug five HRs in series-clinching win vs Cubs
The performance wrapped a scorching series for the once-struggling veteran. Solano went 9 for 14 during the three-game set, collecting three hits in each game while driving in eight runs, which was twice as many as he had all season before Friday.
After Sunday’s game, manager Dan Wilson had a fitting answer about the player nicknamed “Donnie Barrels.”
“He is really swinging, and we talked about it before the game, about finding barrels,” Wilson told reporters, “And today (he) found a ton more barrels and was using the whole park.”
The big series in Chicago was the culmination of a turnaround that Solano has been over the past month.
The 37 year old looked as if he might be nearing the end of what would have been an abbreviated stint with the Mariners in late May.
Entering a May 24 game in Houston, Solano was batting a meager .138 with a .331 OPS and just two extra-base hits in 68 plate appearances. He was among the worst hitters in baseball at the time, posting a minus-8 wRC+ that ranked third-to-last among hitters with at least 60 plate appearances.
Solano went on to have a pair singles and a walk in a 2-1 loss that day to the Astros. It was an otherwise forgettable game for the Mariners, but it marked the start of Solano’s climb out of career-worst start. He’s batting .450 (18 for 40) with a 1.200 OPS, three home runs and 12 RBIs in 14 games since that day in Houston.
How resurgence could change M’s outlook
Solano’s resurgence at the plate has been a positive development for both him and the Mariners. For the M’s in particular, it could help with more than just the results on the field.
First base has been long thought to be the most glaring need for the Mariners to address via trade for a playoff push. The platoon of Solano and Rowdy Tellez (who was designated for assignment Friday) ranked among the league’s least productive, but a platoon of the version of Solano the Mariners thought they were getting and the returning Luke Raley all of the sudden makes first a much less desperate need.
More: Why Rowdy’s DFA made the most sense for Seattle Mariners
First base still could be the first place the M’s try to improve, but it doesn’t have to be if Solano is producing. They can shift their focus elsewhere if performance or the trade market dictate it.
The Mariners could focus more on finding offensive punch at third base, where rookie Ben Williamson (.249 average, .593 OPS) has impressed defensively but lacks the slugging abilities traditionally associated with the position.
They could make a stronger push for a second baseman if rookie Cole Young (.236 average, .562 OPS in 17 games), MLB Pipeline’s No. 38 overall prospect, doesn’t do enough over the next few weeks to warrant the role for a playoff push.
They could make impact bullpen arms a higher priority.
They could even be more aggressive in the market for a right fielder since Solano’s career numbers indicate he hits right-handers and left-handers equally well, and Raley could get at-bats in a time split between first base and the outfield.
There’s still another 33 games before the trade deadline that could greatly change all of this, but Solano’s resurgence has a chance to make a real impact on the Mariners’ trade deadline decisions.
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