Seattle Mariners players as the “Avengers”

Mariners rookie Evan White is Captain (Cascadia)

The Mariners first baseman exceeded expectations on the defensive side of the game in 2020. In his first season in the MLB, White won a Gold Glove at first base. The 24-year-old was a finalist alongside AL West division rival first basemen: Matt Olson (two-time winner) and Yuli Gurriel.

To be honest, as a Mariners fan I am not surprised at all after watching him play for a week or two. But I would imagine fans around the league wondering who Evan White even is. That says a little about White’s background and leads me to the Captain America connection.

Captain America, played by actor Chris Evans focuses heavily on the underdog narrative. Steve Rogers wanted to fight in the war, but he was told he could not. With a little luck and hard work, Rogers became a part of an experiment that led him to gain his super strength. As far as I know, White did not take a special serum to make him a Gold Glove level defender, but he sort of was an underdog this season.

Going into the season, no one would have guessed Evan White would be remotely close to winning a Gold Glove. It really is a story about exceeding expectations and breaking down doors that are in front of him, just like Captain America. White’s work ethic has been praised by the Mariners organization and is a big reason why Jerry Dipoto felt comfortable signing White to an extension without playing a game in the big leagues.

At the moment, it does not seem like White is a vocal leader like Rogers was for the Avengers, but I think White might have that leadership role very soon. The Mariners have a very young core and White has been one of the pieces that Dipoto has built on top of. White will surely be a leader as the first baseman of the future, and fans are hoping White can be a middle of the lineup hitter.

White also seems to be very humble which I always admire. Steve Rogers is similar in that way to White, which strengthens the connection even further. White will also have a Gold Glove with him, which is my version of Captain America’s shield made out of Vibranium. But let’s be honest, the Gold Glove is more impressive.