Seattle Mariners 2019 Position Preview: First Basemen
By Ty Gonzalez
RYON HEALY
Ryon Healy hits dingers, but doesn’t do a whole lot else well. In his first season with the Mariners, Healy hit 24 bombs; he also slashed an abysmal line of .235/.277/.412 and walked only at a 5.2% clip. Additionally, Healy has failed to put together a consistent approach at the plate and too often winds up in self-made holes by chasing bad pitches.
The transition from third base to first was a natural evolution for a player his type, and the 27-year-old Healy played the position average at best. Overall, it was a poor year for a promising young player that turned heads during his time with Oakland.
For now, Healy appears to be on the outside looking in to the 25-man roster. Given the multiple remaining Minor League options on his deal, Healy isn’t a necessity to keep at the MLB level and the Mariners could see the benefit of him spending some time in Triple-A Tacoma. Having the right-handed hitting Edwin Encarnación on the roster for now doesn’t help Healy’s chances either.
High power, high strikeouts has been a theme of past Mariners first basemen. Until Healy shows true progression in his plate discipline, this trend would only continue.