Mariners Analysis: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not

Jun 22, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners hitting coach Edgar Martinez (left) speaks with catcher Mike Zunino (right) during batting practice before a game Kansas City Royals at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Stock Up: Mike Zunino

Disclaimer, I am not saying that he is where we want him, as M’s fans, to be. BUT, this week he has shown signs of improvement, and with limited options, I think it is fitting to slide him in here.

The young Mariners’ backstop has had a rough go so far in 2015, but this week he’s found his stroke a little bit. In the past week Mike has been hitting .238 (5-for-21) with a homerun and two RBI’s. If my disclaimer wasn’t clear enough, I know, .238 is not an impressive batting average. BUT, with his batting average on the season hovering at .166, you are seeing an improvement, and that is why his stock is up. One can’t help but wonder if this improvement can be attributed to new M’s hitting coach Edgar Martinez, or if it’s just part of the peaks and valleys of baseball. I think that some of this can be attributed to Gar, as he has been spending a vast majority of his time with the young backstop.

Mike is an extremely powerful man, and we have seen glimpses of this all throughout the season. There is no doubt he has the skills, as the 2012 Golden Spikes award winner absolutely raked in college. However, whenever you make the extreme jump from NCAA pitching to the MLB at an incredibly quick rate, you’re going to have your struggles. I think the biggest thing Edgar has done for him is give him some confidence at the dish, and hopefully he can keep pumping that into Mike, and he can continue to swing a much improved bat.

Next: Stock Down: Kyle Seager