Mariners Roundtable: Most Surprising Players

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Mar 16, 2016; Peoria, AZ, USA; General view of the field prior to the game between the Seattle Mariners and the San Francisco Giants at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports /

I think we can all agree that Felix Hernandez‘s peculiar decision to go blond was the biggest surprise of the spring so far, but tonight we will focus on who has surprised on the field in Arizona.

Opening day may be the official start to the baseball season, but in recent years, spring training has been watched much more closely by fans. Cactus League games were rarely televised just a few years ago, but now, nearly every Seattle Mariners spring game is beamed back home to fans in the Emerald City. The results of these games do not count, but individual performances certainly do matter.

As in life, there are good surprises and there are bad surprises in baseball. Here at SoDo Mojo we prefer to look on the bright side, thus we will only be discussing which players on the Seattle Mariners have been pleasant surprises. Each of our talented writers has selected one player to focus on in this article.

A number of roster spots are on the line in Peoria, and many of the names in this slideshow are competing for jobs this spring. Unfortunately, we were unable to include all of the M’s excelling right now. Stefen Romero, Donn Roach and Dan Robertson were left off the list, but they are all worthy of honorable mentions.

We will begin by discussing Shawn O’Malley, who has been remarkably impressive this March.

Next: O'Malley is on fire!

Ben Garza – Shawn O’Malley

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Shawn O’Malley, the Kennewick, WA and Southridge High School product has had the most surprising spring of any Mariner on the roster. The local product was thought of as one who probably wouldn’t make the team this season as the Mariners brought in Luis Sardinas and they also have Chris Taylor, both of which are true shortstops and can spell Ketel Marte defensively. But, he’s played all over the field including shortstop and has just one error so far this spring. Offensively he has been the best player in several categories. Batting average, On Base Percentage, stolen bases, hits, and runs scored. He’s third in slugging percentage on the team. He’s been on fire. He’s done just about everything he can do to earn a spot on the 25 man roster.

Shawn O’Malley not only has the statistics but he brings an intensity and grit to each and every game he plays in. So while it’s surprising he has been so scorching hot, it’s no surprise he’s been such a grinder. If Jerry Dipoto and Scott Servais plan on having more players on base in front of the big bats and a deep bench, switch hitting utility man Shawn O’Malley is an ace to have on this team.

Next: Guti...Guti...Guti

Aug 12, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners designated hitter Franklin Gutierez (30) runs from second base to score a run on a hit against the Baltimore Orioles during the third inning at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /

Riley Baker – Franklin Gutierrez

We’re just about halfway through spring games, and there are several Mariners finding early success. One of those players is Franklin Gutierrez. He is certainly one of the biggest surprises thus far on this Mariners team.

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Returning to the club on a one year deal early in the offseason, Gutierrez is expected to platoon with Seth Smith in the outfield this year. So far this spring, Guti his hitting .389 with 4 homeruns, a double, and 7 RBI through 8 games.

It has definitely been a sight for sore eyes to watch ‘The Death to Flying Things’ get into this early groove, and hopefully he can sustain it going into the regular season. While he has had trouble staying healthy, he should be able to keep things under control this year not having to play every day.

I’ll be very interested to see if Guti can stay healthy all season and continue to hit well against lefties. If he can even play 65 games in his platoon role and hit .280 with 7 or 8 home runs, I think that will be a successful season for our beloved Franklin Gutierrez.

Next: Sardinas' performance with the stick has been shocking

Mar 14, 2016; Salt River Pima-Maricopa, AZ, USA; Seattle Mariners shortstop Luis Sardinas (16) hits an RBI triple against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the third inning during a spring training game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports /

Brian Helberg – Luis Sardinas

The Seattle Mariners acquired the 22-year-old infielder from the Milwaukee Brewers this winter. Sardinas has wasted little time making an impact with his new club, posting a .359 batting average with 1 home run and a team high, 10 RBI across 16 games. He has tallied 14 hits in his first 39 at bats. Sardinas has utilized his plus speed very effectively, legging out 4 doubles, 1 triple and stealing 1 base so far this spring.

The switch-hitting Venezuela native has never been considered an offensive threat during his two years in the big leagues. He registered a .196/.240/.216 slash line through 36 games with the Brew Crew in 2015. Sardinas has very little power, and he has yet to hit a home run during his 230 career plate appearances in the big leagues. He did perform better with the Brewers Class-AAA affiliate last season, hitting .282 with 1 home run, 33 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 103 games.

This is why Sardinas’ performance this spring has been so unexpected. Everyone knew he was a versatile defender with a steady glove, but no one foresaw him making consistent contributions at the plate. Sardinas was once considered one of the top young prospects in baseball, but many scouts had begun to question whether he could ever hit enough to be a regular. This spring he is trying to prove his doubters wrong.

Next: Updating the M’s 5th Starting Pitcher Position Battle

The numbers suggest that it is unlikely Luis Sardinas can carry over his Cactus League production into April. However, his season will be deemed a success if he can hit .265 with Seattle while severing as the utility infielder.

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I think we can all agree that Felix Hernandez‘s peculiar decision to go blond was the biggest surprise of the spring so far, but tonight we will focus on who has surprised on the field in Arizona.

More from SoDo Mojo

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