Seattle Mariners All-Dipoto Acquisition Team: Starting Outfielders

As we inch closer to the completion of our All-Dipoto Acquisition roster for the Mariners, we look at a position group that hosts some of the best talent brought in by Jerry Dipoto over the last five years.

Some of Dipoto’s best deals as the Mariners’ general manager have focused on the acquisition of an outfielder. Whether it be his first trade with the team in which he acquired Boog Powell from the Tampa Bay Rays or the first draft pick he made with the team in selecting Kyle Lewis, Dipoto has never sat on his hands when it’s come to his team’s outfield.

Many men have patrolled the grass at T-Mobile Park over the last five years; some carried over from the Zdruiencik era, but most acquired by the tireless Dipoto. Since the winter of 2016, Dipoto has acquired 38 outfielders through trades, free agency, and waivers; additionally, he has selected another 24 outfielders through his first four drafts with the team.

The majority of them have come and gone without leaving much of a mark; others have made an impact at the Major League level but were ultimately traded away or eventually departed in free agency. But as the aforementioned numbers indicate, Dipoto has had backup plans for his backup plans, and has brought in several names that could form to create the outfield of the future for the Seattle Mariners.

To say it was tough to crack down on which outfielders would make this team, let alone start for it, would be an understatement. But we’ve landed on three names we think are worthy of playing on a nightly basis for our team, though we’ll be sure to give a nod to some of other favorites when we write about our bench spots and honorable mentions in the coming days.

Now let’s take a look at the starters.

CF JARRED KELENIC

Well, here’s the biggest leap of faith we’re going to take with this team. Jarred Kelenic has just 92 plate appearances above High-A ball, yet we’re running him out there not just to start for our team, but play perhaps the most important position on the entire field.

We felt that you simply couldn’t make an All-Dipoto Acquisition team without the cornerstone of a trade that’s lining up to be a career-defining move for Jerry Dipoto and one that may alter the course of the entire Mariners organization for the better. And while it’s valid to question Kelenic’s ability to transition to the Majors at this point in time in his development as a hitter, we believe that he could properly handle the defensive duties of an MLB center fielder today.

We also wanted to add some more pop to our lineup and even if Kelenic were to struggle at the plate overall, we feel confident in saying he could still put a few balls over the wall for us. In constructing this roster, the risk looks worth taking and it could end up with us adding some star power to a lineup that looks average at best at the moment. But don’t worry, there’s some more firepower on the way.

RF MITCH HANIGER

While Jarred Kelenic has been Jerry Dipoto’s best prospect addition as the Mariners’ GM, his best MLB acquisition has been Mitch Haniger. Ironically, Haniger wasn’t even the main piece of a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks that snagged the Mariners our starting third baseman of the All-Dipoto Acquisition Team, Jean Segura.

Haniger didn’t necessarily outshine Segura, but quickly became the more intriguing player of the two after posting a 2.5 fWAR season in his first year with the team and earning All-Star honors the following season. Unfortunately, Haniger has been plagued by injuries in two of his three seasons as a Mariner, having played just 159 games in those years.

But when he’s healthy, Haniger has been one of the best outfielders in the game. In 2018, he slashed .285/.366/.493 with 26 home runs and 93 RBIs. Before his season-ending injury in 2019, he may have only logged a .220 average with a .314 OBP, but still hit 15 dingers and ultimately posted a 106 wRC+. So even when he hasn’t been fully productive, he’s still been a slightly above average player in this league.

That’ll wrap things up for today’s piece, but we still have a couple more things to go over as we put the finishing touches on our roster. Be sure to keep an eye out for articles on the bench spots and honorable mentions in the coming days!