3 Mariners who will be Surprise All Stars in 2015

Aug 6, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; A general view of the logo for the 2015 Major League All Star Game to be held in Cincinnati at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports

The Mariners’ are flush with stars, but I believe there will be a few players who will breakthrough in 2015.

Here at SoDo Mojo we ran an article earlier in the week detailing the sky-high expectations for the Mariners in 2015. Nearly every baseball “expert” projects the M’s to reach the postseason this season, and with good reason. Seattle is one of the most talented clubs in baseball, with quality starters littered throughout the lineup and rotation.

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Felix Hernandez, Robinson Cano, Fernando Rodney, Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager were all present at the 2014 All Star game in Minnesota. I expect all four of those players to be named All Stars again this season. However, in order for the M’s to be a truly special team they will need some key contributions from some of the lesser-known players on the roster.

We will begin the list of unexpected All Stars with the M’s backstop, Mike Zunino, who put together a fabulous spring in Arizona.

Feb 21, 2015; Peoria, AZ, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher

(3) catches bullpen during camp at Peoria Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Zunino

2014 was Mike Zunino’s first full season in Seattle, and he showed flashes of why he was selected 3^rd overall in the 2012 draft. The 24-year-old backstop is a powerful young man, and his 22 home runs last season were proof of his incredible strength. However, his .199/.254/.404 slash line across 438 at bats left plenty to be desired. He struck out 158 times, and walked just 17 times in 138 games. Zunino accomplished the rare feat of getting hit by a pitch the same amount of times as he walked in 2014.

Defensively, Zunino is already establishing a reputation as one of the top young catchers in baseball. He did a wonderful job handling the M’s pitching staff last season, and maximizing their talents. He is a great pitch framer, and does a nice job blocking balls in the dirt. He threw out an impressive 28% of potential base stealers, and posted a fielding percentage of .995. He slowed down near the end of the season, but fatigue played a big role in his decline. Zunino’s 130 games behind the plate ranked 2^nd in the American League.

Zunino has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball this spring. The Mariners’ catcher hit .352 with 7 home runs and 14 RBI’s across 54 Cactus League at bats. His 7 dingers were good for second in the league, and his .353 batting average ranked second on the club this spring. His .435 on base percentage and .852 slugging percentage were both tops on the M’s in Spring Training. Zunino collected 6 doubles in Arizona, which tied for the team lead with Cano. The University of Florida alum struck out 14 times, and worked an eye popping tally of 7 free passes.

Zunino made a few changes to his mechanics at the plate this winter, and the results have been very encouraging thus far. The most noticeable difference is his batting stance. Zunino is much more spread out, and he has cut down significantly on his stride. I’m fine with Zunino not getting on base very often, but his .199 batting average needs to improve dramatically this season. If he can post a .240 batting average, 30 home runs would be a fair projection for one of the most powerful young hitters in all of baseball.

In terms of other catchers vying for a spot on the All Star team, there is not a whole lot of competition for Mike Zunino in the American League. Most experts consider Salvador Perez the best backstop in the AL, but Zunino is talented enough to represent the M’s in Cincinnati this July. Zunino enters the season sitting comfortably in the top 5 or 6 catchers in the American League. Matt Weiters, Russell Martin, Brian McCann and Yan Gomes are the only real contenders to steal the spot from the Mariners’ young catcher.

Mar 30, 2015; Peoria, AZ, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher

(32) pitches against the Los Angeles Angels at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Taijuan Walker

If Major League Baseball handed out Cy Young Awards for Spring Training, Taijuan Walker would be the heavy favorite to take home the hardware in 2015. Tai has been nearly unhittable in Cactus League play, going 4-0 and posting a 0.67 ERA across 27.0 innings pitched. He has struck out 26, and walked just 5 during his 7 spring outings. Walker dominated the competition this spring, and he will open the season as the M’s number 4 starter.

Many of us thought 2014 would be the breakthrough season for the gifted 22-year-old, but injuries and mechanical problems led to a disappointing year. Walker was injured last spring, and did not make his Mariners’ debut until June 30. Walker finished the season with a 2-3 record, and a 2.61 ERA across 38 innings pitched. His low ERA masks many of his struggles, as he spent much of the summer pitching for the Tacoma Rainiers due to his inability to throw strikes with Seattle.

However, after overhauling his windup in Tacoma, Walker looked much better in September. Walker went 1-1 with a 1.96 ERA across 23 innings during the final month of the season. His revamped delivery led to a superb performance against the Toronto Blue Jays, in which he took a hard luck loss after pitching 8 shutout innings.

There are plenty of quality hurlers in the AL, but not many possess the repertoire of pitches Tai Walker has. The powerful right-hander can get ahead of hitters with his 97 mph fastball, and then drop in his 77 mph breaking ball to get the strikeout. To have such a big discrepancy in velocity is rare, and lethal for a pitcher. Look for Walker to baffle hitters in 2015, and represent Seattle this summer in Cincinnati at his first All Star Game.