Seattle Mariners vs Oakland A’s: 5 Players to Watch in Japan Series

Number 3: Braden Bishop, Dylan Moore, and Ryon Healy

Okay, so I am getting a little fast and easy with the rules. The reason for selecting these 3 players as one is that none of the three were expected to make the Opening Day roster. Sure, I think a lot of us thought there was a shot it could happen, but just one month ago, you probably could’ve gotten good odds on this trifecta heading to Japan.

We don’t know how much these guys will play either, at least in regards to Moore and Bishop. Healy, on the other hand, will probably get at least 1 start at 3B. Healy’s spot on the roster was secured just recently, thanks to the unfortunate injury to Kyle Seager. This allows Healy to stand at 3B and show the team that he can get on base at a more consistent level.

Seattle may try to get all their bats one start in this series, so it is possible that Dylan Moore could start game 2 at 3B. Fresh off winning the utility job from Kristopher Negron, Moore had a solid spring, showing a line drive approach and the willingness to take a walk.

Moore, 26, has never appeared in a big league game, but did quite a bit of yard work at AA and AAA in 2018, slashing .299/.363/.522 in 2018. The Mariners were so intrigued, they gave the minor league free agent a Major League contract.

Moore will likely see most of his time at 3B, though he will get a handful of starts at SS as well. It will be interesting to see if he can handle the utility role on a full-time basis as the season progresses.

Finally, the biggest leap of Mariners spring training, Braden Bishop. An “uber-popular” prospects amongst fans, Bishop showed up to Mariners camp seemingly destined to start the year in Tacoma. Then Mallex Smith was shut down for all of spring, giving Bishop an opportunity. He took advantage.

This spring, Bishop slashed .379/.419/.724 with 3 home runs. Not known for his power tool, Bishop made some mechanical adjustments this off-season, which has allowed him to elevate the ball more. Bishop will likely head back down to Tacoma before the team takes on the Red Sox at T-Mobile Park on March 28th, so it will be fun to see how the team uses him in Japan.

More than likely, the Seattle will deploy him as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement late in games. Bishop is both a plus runner and defender, so adding that element later in games can be a valuable asset off the bench. Hopefully, Bishop will get a PA, but it seems more unlikely than either Moore or Healy at this stage.