Seattle, WA
Why aren’t Seattle Mariners landing big bats? Ballpark may be the answer
The Seattle Mariners haven’t come out of the gates in 2023 like followers have been hoping for after the group broke its lengthy playoff drought final yr. Going right into a nine-day highway journey that begins Tuesday in Philadelphia, the M’s are 10-12, putting them fourth within the five-team American League West.
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That sluggish begin has led to comprehensible frustration from a contingent of Mariners followers who already felt Seattle didn’t add sufficient gamers on offense within the offseason, with their basic consensus being that the M’s have been unwilling to pay what it took to usher in gamers, whether or not they’re superstars like shortstop Trea Turner or a gamers trying to rebound like designated hitter Josh Bell.
It takes two to tango, although, and as Mike Salk introduced up Monday on Seattle Sports activities’ Brock and Salk, the rationale that the Mariners didn’t add any big-name bats in free company may have simply as a lot to do with the gamers’ unwillingness because the Mariners. And that comes all the way down to the place the M’s play their house video games.
Seattle’s T-Cellular Park is the worst stadium in all of baseball on the subject of hitting. Significantly.
In keeping with Statcast utilizing information from 2021 via this season, T-Cellular Park has a ballpark issue of 91 (league common is 100). Seattle’s house stadium ranks final in baseball by way of how straightforward it’s to attain runs, get on base, get successful, and most drastically get a triple – the metric for that’s 47, which means it’s 53% tougher than league common to hit a triple in Seattle, whereas Detroit’s Comerica Park has a 203 ranking. In truth, it appears the one factor that isn’t the toughest within the league for a hitter to do at T-Cellular Park is hit a homer, the place the stadium really ranks forward of 10 others.
Salk shared why considerations over how the ballpark performs for hitters has solely develop into an increasing number of obvious to him.
“I’ve spent a whole lot of time, and I’ve talked with lots of people in and round this group – and it’s not like I’m simply speaking to (Mariners president of baseball operations) Jerry Dipoto. I’ve talked to individuals all all through the group in administration, gamers, coaches, ex-players, and many others., to attempt to perceive what it’s wish to play for this group and this group,” Salk mentioned. “And the extra I speak to individuals – extensively – the extra I hear concerning the ballpark impact there.”
Why is T-Cellular Park onerous on hitters?
Within the earlier days of T-Cellular Park (which was initially known as Safeco Area), it was recognized to be pitcher-friendly with an expansive outfield. In an effort to assist hitters, the fences have been moved in previous to the 2013 season. Drawback is, which will have helped in a method however harm in others.
“So once more, I talked to a whole lot of totally different individuals, and the massive factor I get is that this ballpark may be very onerous to hit in daily,” Salk mentioned. “And sure, I do know that there’s any person proper now screaming on the radio, ‘However the different group has to hit there, too.’ Sure, they do. However it’s simpler, apparently – and I’m basing this on issues I’ve heard from gamers, and many others. – to return in and do this for 3 video games than it’s to try this for a full season. It doesn’t have an effect on you as a lot. It doesn’t get in your head.”
The marine layer at sea stage in Seattle, one thing that’s particularly evident within the colder spring months, suppresses some fly balls that could be house runs elsewhere, but it surely’s even worse on line drives that often discover grass.
“The issue is balls cling up within the air right here,” Salk mentioned. “It’s not simply that it kills would-be house runs, though it does, but it surely additionally makes line drives cling up within the air and get caught by the outfielders. … I used to be speaking to a participant yesterday, and he’s like, ‘Yeah, you recognize, the house runs are definitely annoying. You hit a ball at this trajectory, this bat pace, you’re like, OK, that’s gone. After which it will get caught, and also you’re like what the heck? That’s annoying. However what’s extra annoying is I hit a line-drive base hit and it simply hangs up an additional second and the outfielder is available in and makes a play.’ And oh, by the best way, as a result of they moved the fences in, it’s not that deep to proper and left discipline.
“It’s onerous to hit it due to the useless ball right here, however proper and left aren’t that deep. So guess what? These outfielders don’t play very deep, so now balls are hanging up and also you’ve obtained outfielders that aren’t taking part in that deep as a result of they’re not afraid of something getting over their head. So you find yourself taking away extra hits, and now you begin to exacerbate the issue and it will get in guys’ heads.”
That could be a doubtless rationalization for the Mariners placing a superb quantity of their deal with gamers who produce elite exit velocities once they make contact equivalent to Julio Rodríguez, Jarred Kelenic and Teoscar Hernández.
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“Can you possibly can you get previous it? Certain. If you’ve obtained guys who hit the ball as onerous as Julio or Kelenic or Teoscar or Nelson Cruz, are they going to nonetheless have success on this ballpark? Sure, completely they’re. Nobody goes to say that it’s inconceivable to hit right here,” Salk mentioned.
Why aren’t hitters signing with the Mariners?
This all results in a possible rationalization for each why free brokers who know their numbers will take successful taking part in half their video games at T-Cellular Park select to signal elsewhere, and why the Mariners might favor buying gamers with much less years on their contracts.
“I believe it results in two issues: one, sure gamers that simply don’t need to signal right here,” Salk mentioned of the best way Seattle’s ballpark performs. “Like, ‘Yeah, I’m good. I don’t need to go play in that daily. I need to get one other contract once I’m achieved right here, and hitting for 2 years in that ballpark possibly isn’t going to be one of the best factor for the way forward for my incomes potential.’ Two, I believe (the Mariners) have to pattern the products slightly bit. … This concept of spend, spend, spend, spend, spend is okay. However when you’ve got two gamers who each stink, I might quite have one making $2 million than $25 million.”
Brock Huard, Salk’s co-host, mentioned that reminded him of the saying “fail quick,” which resonated with Salk.
“So if you happen to’re going to fail, fail quick,” Salk mentioned. “If I’m the Mariners and I do know that sure gamers can’t survive right here – and Jesse Winker final yr is a good instance however he’s not the one one – don’t I need to pattern the products earlier than I purchase? And possibly that’s what they’re doing with Teoscar Hernández. ‘Hey, we predict this man hits the ball actual onerous. Let’s pattern the products earlier than we purchase. Let’s see if this works as a result of so lots of the different choices haven’t labored as a result of this ballpark can completely take dudes out, each bodily and mentally.’”
It could be no coincidence that apart from Rodríguez, the 2 huge contracts the Mariners have signed gamers to in recent times have been with pitchers Robbie Ray and Luis Castillo, who not like hitters can profit from the T-Cellular Park impact.
“I’m speculating, however possibly that’s the rationale they’ve approached a few of these offensive free company points the best way they’ve,” Salk mentioned. “It didn’t cease them from spending on (pitcher) Robbie Ray, and he didn’t have any difficulty coming right here. ‘Yeah, I’ll go play there. Signal me up.’ However I believe I can possibly perceive in the event that they need to pattern the products on a number of the different guys, and if gamers like J.D. Martinez or Andrew Benintendi, and many others., don’t have any curiosity in signing right here – or Brian Anderson’s one other good instance, he signed for brief cash in Milwaukee – the place would you quite hit daily: within the NL Central in Milwaukee or right here? He needs to construct his worth again so he can go earn money in his subsequent contract. Effectively, the place do you need to do this?
“In order that to me is simply kind of the larger image. I’m not making an attempt to make excuses as a result of it’s additionally helped their pitching, and it permits Luis Castillo and others to be even higher than they’re. However possibly that helps as a part of the reason for the way the Mariners behave the best way they do.”
Hearken to the complete Brock and Salk dialog within the podcast under.
Extra on the Seattle Mariners
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• Panicking about Seattle Mariners? So are followers of different MLB contenders
• Is change wanted? Dipoto addresses Mariners’ hitting struggles
• The place the Seattle Mariners may look in the event that they determine to commerce for a bat