There are a lot of factors to why the Seattle Mariners have fallen back to Earth after their hot start. A depleted pitching staff got hit with more injuries, pitchers called upon to hold the line have failed to do so in their last few outings, and most importantly the team simply is not hitting.
While it is still early, the lack of offense is a telling sign. The team is 27th in the league in batting average, 25th in runs scored. Robinson Cano is doing what he is being paid $240 million to do, leading the team with a .301 average, but only has one home run. It is hard to imagine his trademark power will not return, so patience is all that is needed at this juncture.
The rest of the team is a mess. Behind Cano, the highest batting average is Justin Smoak at just .241. Abraham Almonte has cooled off, batting just .204 after his torrid start, and Nick Franklin is bouncing between Seattle and Triple-A Tacoma to get his kinks worked out.
Hope may be arriving in the form of third baseman Kyle Seager, who has rebounded from an ice cold start to hit five home runs in his last four games, including two Sunday against Texas. His second home run on Sunday was a three-run blast that gave the Mariners a 6-5 win. He has raised his average to .238 and is showing more discipline at the plate.
At Tacoma, shortstop Chris Taylor continues to hit at a crazy pace. His .395 average through 20 games is fourth best in the Pacific Coast League, and the normally light-hitting shortstop has found time to connect for two home runs and account for four steals. Taylor has always been a high average hitter, batting a combined .314 last year between High-A and Double-A Jackson. While Brad Miller continues to struggle for the parent club, it is hard to imagine Taylor staying at Tacoma for much longer.
The other good news for the Mariners out of Tacoma has been the raw power of Jesus Montero. Montero struggled mightily with the Mariners last season before his season ended due to injury. Montero still needs to work on his pitch selection (he leads the Rainiers in strikeouts), but is batting .306 with a team leading six home runs. His sixth came Sunday against Las Vegas, salvaging an overall poor four game series as well as bailing out Hiwashi Iwakuma in his rehab start. Iwakuma gave up three runs (two earned) in four innings, striking out two.
The Double-A Jackson Generals have the same problem as the parent club in a lack of offense. Shortstop Ketel Marte is batting .315, but his seven errors in the field are a real problem. Designated hitter Jabari Blash has been a physical force, with his five home runs accounting for almost half of the team’s total. Blash has also shown an incredible eye at the dish, with an astounding 22 walks in 24 games to lead the Southern League. Blash hit 25 home runs last season between High Desert and Jackson, and when Montero inevitably returns to Seattle, Blash will likely get a well deserved shot with Tacoma.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
