Between the comings and goings in basketball and the upcoming football season, you could be forgiven for forgetting that baseball has reached the All-Star break. Seattle fans have not forgotten, considering their team is in prime position for a playoff berth after they were written off at the start of the season.
How the Seattle Mariners have gotten to the break with a 51-44 record lies in the hands of one of the best starting pitching staffs in the majors, led by King Felix Hernandez and followed by impressive seasons thus far for Chris Young and Hisashi Iwakuma. Now we look at the best and worst for Seattle and its affiliates at this point in the year.
Seattle Top Hitter: Robinson Cano
Seattle’s twenty-four million dollar man has not exactly put up the numbers one would expect for that kind of salary, but has still been the most consistent hitter for the Mariners. Being away from the hitter-friendly short porch at Yankee Stadium and into the pitcher’s paradise that is Safeco Field has robbed him of his power. As a result, Cano has adjusted his swing, and while his seven home runs thus far are well below his career averages and his slugging percentage is way down as a result, his batting average is up over his career average (batting .334 this year versus a career .311 average), and his on-base percentage is up as well (.392 versus a career .355).
Seattle Bottom Hitter: Dustin Ackley
For a second straight season, the one-time top prospect in the Seattle organization has not been able to find his stride. His .225 batting average, lack of power (4 home runs from a corner outfield spot), and lack of walks have made trotting him out every day more of a liability than an asset. His negative 0.5 WAR is the worst on the team, and puts him the top twenty worst hitters in the American League.
Seattle Top Pitcher: Felix Hernandez
Did you really expect anyone else? He is tied for third in the American League in wins (11), second in ERA (2.12), strikeouts (154), and WHIP (a patently absurd 0.90), and the AL leader in starts (20) and Pitching WAR (4.4). His ERA is just .04 higher than leader Chris Sale’s… with six more starts. While the world marvels over Clayton Kershaw, Hernandez is showing he is still the King.
Seattle Bottom Pitcher: Erasmo Ramirez
Ramirez showed signs of being a brilliant fourth starter for the Mariners. Those signs did not show up nearly enough, and Ramirez finds himself down with Tacoma after being demoted June 26th. Before that, he needed three straight starts of zero runs allowed to drop his ERA from an astronomical 6.82 to a more manageable 4.62. He walked 17 batters in 23 innings in June, and only managed six innings or more in just four starts.
Tacoma Top Hitter: Chris Taylor
With the struggles of Brad Miller at the major league level, Mariners fans are salivating at the image of Taylor manning shortstop. His .315 batting average and 85 hits lead the Rainiers, and are 11th in the Pacific Coast League. He is second on the team in stolen bases with 12, and has shown surprising power (his five home runs are seventh in the league amongst shortstops). The biggest issue is his 68 strikeouts in 67 games, so the parent organization would prefer to see him cut those down.
Tacoma Top Pitcher: Jordan Pries
While pitching has not been the strong suit for the Rainiers to this point this season, Pries has been the most solid and consistent starter. His 3.46 ERA and 1.26 WHIP are best amongst regular Tacoma starters, and his 72 strikeouts are second best on the team.
Jackson Top Hitter: Patrick Kivlehan
The number 18 prospect in the Mariners organization, Kivlehan started out the year by pounding on competition at High-A High Desert. Since his promotion, his rampage has continued to Southern League pitching. In 58 games, he has six home runs (second on the team) and leads the Generals with a .306 average. His OPS (On-base plus Slugging) is a fantastic .860, in part to his 26 walks. His defense at third base leaves something to be desired, but his hitting has been an incredible asset to the Generals.
Jackson Top Pitcher: Mayckol Guaipe
One of the many closers for the Generals, Guaipe has been a force out of the bullpen. His 0.94 WHIP comes from allowing just 30 hits in 39.1 innings. 34 strikeouts versus only 7 walks makes him one of the best relievers in the league. Between him and teammate David Colvin, the Generals have a strong group of pitchers late into the game.
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