Mariners Analysis: Mike Zunino, Professional Hitter

Mike Zunino is hitting .181 this season. His on-base percentage is a weak .240. That said, he was hitting .158 on June 19th. ‘

Mike Zunino is doing something that very few Mariners are doing: Making adjustments, and in turn, seeing results. “Z” has an eight-game hitting streak currently. He had three hits in the great Guti walk-off game on Sunday. Even his outs are hit hard. He actually had a home run robbed on both Sunday and Monday. He just looks like a different player.

And last night, you saw more and more of the kind of hitter he can be:

That ball was absolutely crushed. That’s Nelson Cruz territory. And ironically enough, Cruz hit one in the same spot later in the game. I saw one tweet that said Cruz’s homer went one-foot further than Zunino’s, so take this next tweet as a bit outdated, but there’s a point.

I honestly didn’t remember that Wily Mo Pena was a Mariner. He only played 22 games with the M’s, his last spot in major league baseball to this point. Just an interesting sidebar.

Anyways…Mike Zunino’s resurgence directly correlates with the time that Edgar Martinez took over as hitting coach. What kind of things have they worked on?

Baseball is a game of adjustments and right now, Zunino is making them. He may never be a .340 hitting catcher, but he’s not a .150 hitter either. In a season of frustration, you look for little things to encourage you as a fan. And this is one of them.

Go get ’em, Z.

Go M’s.

More from SoDo Mojo

• 2023 Steamer Projections: Teoscar Hernandez could see a drop in Seattle
• Could the Mariners Acquire AL Batting Champion, Luis Arraez?
• Steamer Projections: Julio Rodriguez to enter rarified air in 2023
• What if the Mariners traded FOR Tyler O’Neill this time?
• Mariners starting pitching is being overlooked by MLB

Next: Mariners Analysis: Learning What Good Teams Do