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

Jul 10, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners left fielder Franklin Gutierrez (30) is greeted by third baseman Kyle Seager (15) after Gutierrez scored a run in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports

Stock Up: Franklin Gutierrez

I’ve been singing Franklin Gutierrez’s praises for quite some time now, and I am so incredibly excited to see him making me look semi-smart. Guti was always one of my favorites, and after everything he has gone through, he is the feel good story for the M’s so far. Injuries have plagued his career. Many would have retired, and a lot of people wouldn’t have blamed him. However, he found a way to come back, and the M’s are thankful he did.

Over the past week, Guti has been impressive at the plate, going 5-for-16 (.313) with a double, home run, and an RBI. More importantly, he has created some stability at the top of the M’s lineup, and always seems to get rallies going. He still has some pop in that bat, and more importantly he has proven some gap-to-gap power, something this M’s lineup doesn’t have a lot of. I think the most important thing is that he is a veteran bat. Gutierrez is someone who can pass down some knowledge to these younger guys, and someone who constantly finds himself getting deep into counts.

Guti has been everything the M’s could’ve hoped for and more since being called up, hitting .290 on the year so far. While I’m not sure what the rest of the year will hold, what I do know is that I am incredibly happy for the 32 year old veteran.

Next: Mike Zunino