By Jeffrey Nooney, edited by Charles Hamaker

Peoria, AZ - We are now just over a week into spring training, and the anticipation for the season is growing. While the Seattle Mariners may not have added many new and exciting players to the team during the offseason, this is still a good roster. The starting pitchers are all healthy currently, and the bullpen will get better with the return of Matt Brash and Gregory Santos at full health. The lineup leaves a lot to be desired, but if the players can play to the backs of their baseball cards, this team is poised to be in contention not only for a Wild Card spot, but maybe even the division.

Spring training is the time to show what you have been working on during the offseason. Some pitchers show up with new pitches, some hitters change their approach, and some players transition to new positions. Keep in mind, when you see the scores and box scores to take the stats with a grain of salt. Maybe a pitcher gets lit, but maybe he was throwing one or two pitches exclusively. Maybe a hitter is told to only swing at off-speed pitches, or fastballs. That is why, in spring training, stats really do not matter all that much.

With that being said, there are things to look for in these games. Players can still make a roster with a hot spring training, and players will not make a roster with a bad spring. While most of the decisions happen on the back fields, some of them can be seen during the games. Here are some players with the most to gain from spring training.

Seattle Mariners infielder Ryan Bliss during the teams June 13th, 2024 game against the Chicago White Sox at T-Mobile Park. (Photos by Rio Giancarlo for Circling Seattle Sports)

Ryan Bliss

The starting second base position for the Mariners is up for grabs. Dylan Moore is the favorite to start the year as the primary second baseman, but the Mariners do have some options there and we may see more a platoon at that position. Ryan Bliss is in line behind Moore, but could earn the starting job with a dominant spring as it may benefit Seattle to have Bliss at second full time with Moore continuing his “super utility” role. Bliss spent some time with the Mariners in 2024, hitting .222/.290/.397/.687 in just 33 games at the major league level. He struck out in 31% of his at bats, and was able to steal five bases. He is still just 25 years old, and did hit well in AAA Tacoma last season with the Rainiers.

Bliss falls into the same bucket as other players on the roster who have struggled at the MLB level, but excelled in AAA. He slashed .269/.377/.456/.833 with 12 home runs and 50(!!!) steals in 93 games for the Rainiers. We all know the hitting environment in the Pacific Coast League is much friendlier than it is in the Major Leagues, but he has shown that he has the talent to be an everyday player at times during his stints with the Mariners. Being able to put things together would be big not only for Bliss personally, but for Seattle considering there is no clear solution at second until the expected future of the position in Cole Young is fully ready.

Ryan bliss struggled with fastballs in his cup of coffee with the Mariners last season, hitting just .194 on the heat. His expected batting average on fastballs was not much better, coming in at .229. He hit .350 on breaking pitches, but that seems unsustainable and he should be able to hit the heater better if he’s ever going to be a steady major leaguer. He knows that, and has worked all offseason on hitting fastballs. If he is able to demonstrate that he can do that against major league pitching this spring and do so consistently, he has a real chance to become the Opening Day second baseman.

Seattle Mariners infielder Jorge Polanco during the teams August 26th, 2024 win over the Tampa Bay Rays at T-Mobile Park. (Photos by Kevin Ng for Circling Seattle Sports)

Jorge Polanco

Polanco was acquired last offseason from the Minnesota Twins in a trade that saw Seattle send outfield prospect Gabriel Gonzalez, reliever Justin Topa, starter Anthony DeSclafani and minor league pitcher Darren Bowen for a player that they’ve “coveted” for years, but he had a disappointing season in 2024 as a Mariner. His strikeout rate climbed up to a career high 29.2%. His OPS+ of 93 was his worst since 2017, if you don’t count 2020’s 60 game season. He dealt with a rash of injuries in 2024, including a torn meniscus he played through that required offseason surgery. The Mariners declined his club option, but decided to bring him back and make him the starting third baseman after keeping in contact with him throughout the offseason as their medical staff advised him on the type of surgery to undergo.

The Mariners believe that he can still be a productive player, and I believe that they’re right. BABIP is not a stat that is gospel, but it can help explain why a player’s stats take a nosedive. Polanco’s BABIP in 2024 was .274. His career BABIP coming into 2024 was .302, and the MLB average is .296. If you add 30 points of average added to Polanco’s 2024 stats, we are talking about a different season for Polanco.

If Jorge Polanco can stay healthy, I firmly believe that he bounces back to an above average player. That might not seem like a significant upgrade for the Mariners, but if this offence can sit right at league average, with this pitching staff, the Mariners could be a magical team in 2025. It’s going to be very interesting to see how Polanco is able to hold up at the third base position, as infield coach Perry Hill will need to work some more of his magic to help Jorge be the consistent presence there that Seattle is hoping he can be.

Seattle Mariners catcher/designated hitter Mitch Garver during the teams win over the Texas Rangers on June 15th, 2024 at T-Mobile Park. (Photos by Rio Giancarlo for Circling Seattle Sports)

Mitch Garver

Garver’s 2024 season was absolutely dreadful. He hit just .172/.286/.341/.627 with an OPS+ of just 85, 15% lower than league average. He did hit 15 home runs, and he walked 12.3% of the time, which is great to see besides the largely poor season he had at the plate considering that he signed in the offseason to be Seattle’s primary designated hitter. He struck out in 30.9% of his at bats, which is a career worst, if you take out the 2020 60-game season. Garver’s on field disappointments are frustrating, but not as frustrating as some fans thinking it was okay to send the player death threats because of his poor performance. That is absolutely never okay, and those fans should seriously reconsider their fandom and probably take some time away from sports.

What Garver can do, however, is turn things around. There is a joke that he performs better in odd numbered years, and what year are we entering? 2025. This trend goes back to 2019, where he earned 4.1 WAR for the Twins. In 2021, he earned 2.1 WAR and that was the same as 2023. This is obviously a coincidence, but the stats are there to support this wild take and if it is something of substance, the Mariners very well could be looking at a bounce back campaign from Mitch in 2025.

Garver still hits the ball with authority, and still walks at a top level. He does not chase bad pitches, he just struggled with pitches in the zone. He hit just .195 against fastballs in 2024, while hitting an astounding .108 against breaking pitches. He has got to be better against those kinds of pitches if he has a chance to bounce back. In 2023, his batting average against fastballs was .295, while his average against breaking pitches was .241. If there ever was a player that has the chance to bounce back in 2025, it’s Mitch Garver. Considering that he will have to see some considerable time in the lineup as the top option for the designated hitter spot and will almost certainly be the teams backup catcher behind Cal Raleigh unless someone else steps up this Spring.

As always, Go Mariners!

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Check out our previous Seattle Mariners articles here.
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