Seattle Mariners players as the “Avengers”

Avengers assemble! Have you ever thought about what characters some of the Seattle Mariners players would be in the superhero series by Marvel Studios? Probably not, so that is why we did it for you.

We promise there are not any Marvel Avengers spoilers if you have not seen all of the movies yet. I loved the Inifinity Sage, Marvel Cinematic Universe which includes 23 movies. Many of the characters in the movie series had distinct personalities and special traits, and those will be compared to some Seattle Mariners players.

No. 1: The Seattle Mariners’ Iron Man is Kyle Seager

Robert Downey Jr. played Iron Man (Tony Stark) in The Avengers’ story as a cocky, funny, and wealthy playboy. Although Tony Stark is known for his selfish actions, he is also an important part of the Avengers and quickly became an audience favorite. Stark became an unsung hero as the stories went on, and became a crucial part of the superhero group towards the end.

Generally speaking, Iron Man is also known as a durable person because of his suit of armor. For example, Cal Ripken Jr. was nicknamed Iron Man because of his ability to stay on the field. Ripken Jr. played 2,632 consecutive games to break Lou Gehrig’s record. This relates to Seager because of his long career with Seattle.

The Mariners third baseman has played 1,321 games in 10 seasons, all with the Mariners. Seager recently turned 33-years-old and is the best third baseman in Mariners history. Seager continues to produce as a long time veteran and is very much like a durable Iron Man.

Another reason why I chose Seager as the Iron Man of the Marvel Universe, is his leadership role on the team. Seager is one of the few veterans left on the rebuilding Mariners and has played an important part in the organization. The thing I like about Seager is his quiet leadership, the lead by example mentoring of the young players. Although Tony Stark is extroverted unlike Seager, they are both underrated leaders in their respective worlds.

The Seattle Mariners’ no. 4 prospect Logan Gilbert is the Son of (Apopka, FL)

Although Noah Syndergaard of the Mets is the “real” Thor of the MLB, Logan Gilbert is not far behind for me. Mariners prospect Logan Gilbert is 23-year-old, standing at 6′ 6″, weighing 225lbs. Gilbert is still relatively skinny compared to Chris Hemsworth who plays Thor in the Marvel Universe, but he is only 23-years-old. He has time to grow into his body a little more.

So what makes Gilbert my choice as Thor, besides his stature? Gilbert does have a little flow going like Thor. Even though it is not as long as Syndergaard’s hair, it is something to admire about Gilbert. Thor also has Mjolnir, which is the name of his special hammer. In baseball, a hammer can be referred to as a curveball. Gilbert does not have an Adam Wainwright curveball, but he has one in his repertoire that effectively gets batter’s out.

Gilbert is an exciting prospect that throws a mid to high 90s fastball, with great offspeed pitches. I have a feeling that he will have a dominating presence on the mound in T-Mobile Park, which will bode well with the comparison to Thor. The 23-year-old Florida native is not quite as chatty or cocky as Thor in the movies, but he has the body, hair, and “hammer.” Gilbert is expected to be a part of the 2021 rotation and I cannot wait to see him.

His teammates have been calling him “El Flacco” but I would not be surprised if he gets crowned God of Thunder in the near future.

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.

The Seattle Mariners’ ace Marco Gonzales is as accurate as Hawkeye of the Avengers

The Gonzaga University product had the best season of his career in 2020 and is trending in the right direction. When Gonzales first joined the Mariners after acquiring from the Cardinals via trade, he threw a 5.40 ERA in 10 games to finish 2017. In 2018, he threw a 4.00 ERA, and then a 3.99 ERA in 2019. And most recently, Gonzales posted an excellent 3.10 ERA in 11 starts. One of them being a complete game.

The left-handed starter will not blow batters away, but Gonzales is so precise with his pitches and knows how to maximize his skills. In 2020, Marco led the league in walks per nine innings. Gonzales walked 0.9 batters per nine innings which is incredible. With this metric, it is fair to compare Gonzales to Clint Barton, also known as Hawkeye.

Jeremy Renner played Hawkeye in the Marvel Universe and he did not have any superpowers. Although Hawkeye did not have superpowers, his masterful skills made up for it. Clint Barton was an intelligent man with extreme arrow skills. He rarely missed his shot, just like Gonzales rarely missed the strike zone four times in an at-bat.

Gonzales is also very intelligent like Hawkeye and spends time learning about batters’ tendencies to help him carve the opponent. Gonzales is masterful in utilizing his cutter, changeup, and curveball just like Hawkeye can use his tool of arrows ranging from tasers, bombs, and poisons. I also feel like Clint Barton is an unsung hero amongst the Avengers and becomes more of a fan favorite as the story went on. Gonzales is another underrated player in the MLB that continues to improve after every season.

The Hawkeye example is great for Gonzales, but a Bob Ross comparison is right up there.

The Mariners fifth-ranked prospect is speedy and energetic like Spider-Man

Taylor Trammell is another player the Mariners acquired via a trade. Trammell was a prized San Diego Padres prospect, but they parted ways with him when they had the opportunity to acquire a handful of Mariners players at the deadline. The Mariners will miss Austin Nola, but receiving Trammell and others in return was a win-win.

The former first-round pick in 2016 by the Reds is just 23-years-old and is extremely entertaining. I have watched multiple interviews of him and Trammell is an extrovert who loves to joke around. Trammell reminds me of Dee Strange-Gordon who we recently let go, after declining his club option. Trammell loves to smile on and off the field and will quickly become a fan favorite amongst Mariners fans.

Trammell is a speedy outfielder who will be a future top of the lineup hitter. He has been given a 60 scouting grade for running, and 55 for fielding. Trammell will track down lots of fly balls in the outfield but he does lack arm strength a little. Because of Trammell’s speedy athleticism and funny personality, he is my Spider-Man.

Tom Holland has been the Spider-Man for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and has been one of my favorite characters in the movies. There have been several Spider-Man series over the years, featuring Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, but Holland’s representation of Spider-Man has been extremely entertaining.

The “new” Spider-Man played by Holland is in high school and extremely funny. Because of this, the connection to Trammell is perfect. The Mariners outfielder is a fun, young, extroverted character that aligns well with Spider-Man. Trammell will also cover lots of ground and make athletic plays in the outfield just like Peter Parker slings around from building to building.

The face of the Mariners, Kyle Lewis, is capable of leading Wa(shington) as the Black Panther

There is no doubt that the Mariners’ centerfielder is the new face of the franchise. Kyle Lewis was the first draft pick made by Jerry Dipoto after starting his role with the Mariners as general manager. Lewis was the start of a new beginning for the Mariners organization and it starting to pay dividends.

As one of the Rookie of the Year Award finalists for 2020, Lewis has proven to Mariners fans that he is not a bust like the Mariners have had in the past. As the Mariners leader, Lewis is my favorite for the Black Panther character. The Black Panther was played by the late Chadwick Boseman who passed away in September and represented a monumental superhero in the world.

The Black Panther is the King of Wakanda, and T’Challa’s super abilities are strength, speed, agility, and senses. Lewis is an extremely well-rounded player that has a little bit of everything just like T’Challa. Lewis hit extremely well as a rookie and made multiple clutch defensive plays like his grand slam robbery.

Kyle Lewis is still waiting to hear back about his Rookie of the Year Award from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, but he has won multiple versions of the Rookie of the Year. Lewis won AL Rookie of the Year from the Baseball Digest and AL Outstanding Rookie Award from the MLBPA.

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Mariners fans are expecting Lewis to lead the team on multiple postseason runs in the future as the face of the franchise that Dipoto has drawn out. Lewis will be a great leader like T’Challa and I am excited that he is at the helm

Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford wowed fans on the field and looked like Dr. Strange (-Gordon)

J.P. Crawford made some incredible defensive plays since joining the Seattle Mariners in 2019. Crawford was a well-respected prospect in the Phillies organization but quickly lost hope after struggling in his first two seasons in the majors. The Mariners won again by acquiring Crawford for what seemed like a bust of a prospect.

2020 was his season as the shortstop was able to hit above .250 for the first time in his MLB career. He did a fantastic job setting the table for the middle of the lineup and most importantly, he played spectacular defense. Crawford played so well that he won a Gold Glove in 2020.

I wanted to compare Crawford to Spider-man for his acrobatic skills on defense, but he was too wizard-like for me to not compare him to Dr. Strange. The hero was played by Benedict Cumberbatch and took the Marvel Universe by storm. He gained a lot more popular than some people expected, and Dr. Strange became one of my favorites.

Dr. Strange turned his life completely around after seeking help from sorcerers to recover from his terrible car accident. Strange learned the ways of his sorcerer teachers and became an expert. Crawford in the same way took his defense very seriously and practiced hard to improve his game. Crawford made huge improvements on defense and deserves recognition for his hard work ethic.

Mariners utility player Dylan Moore did a little of everything and is the perfect Ant-Man

Dylan Moore of the Mariners played his second season in the big leagues in 2020. He was quite the delight to Mariners fans as he completely outperformed his 2019 season. The 28-year-old out of the University of Central Florida did whatever was asked of him this season. In 2020, Moore played every position but pitcher and catcher. The only position Moore has not played in his MLB career is catcher (Moore pitched an inning in 2019).

Moore is like the 2020 version of Mariner’s favorite Willie Bloomquist. Not only did Moore play all over the field, filling in whenever necessary, but Moore was also an offensive force. He finished the season with a .255 batting average, .855 OPS, a surprising eight home runs, and 12 stolen bases. Moore showed off his athleticism, speed, and offensive savvy all in just 38 games. What better example is there from the Avengers than Ant-Man played by Paul Rudd.

Ant-Man in the Marvel Universe turned small when needing to spy or sabotage systems, and he would turn humongous when fighting large villains. Also known as Scott Lang, he was a thief his entire life and was able to utilize that skill in his superhero missions as well. Ant-Man was the ultimate utility superhero who played important roles in different scenarios, which sounds exactly like a utility baseball player like Moore.

Dylan Moore is also a likable character who smiles on the field and is a great guy to interview. Much like Scott Lang in Marvel, Paul Rudd plays a quirky and entertaining superhero character. One last connection to make is Rudd’s ability to use his tools in the right way. Similar to Marco Gonzales’ comparison to Hawkeye, both Lang and Moore use their different tools at the right time.

Lang would use his Pym particle to get big when necessary and large when necessary. Moore in the same way used his defensive versatility depending on the day and his variety of offensive skillsets when called upon. From stealing bases to hitting home runs, to moving runners over, Moore did it all.

Jerry Dipoto completely rebuilt the Seattle Mariners roster and powered it up like Nick Fury

Jerry Dipoto took over as Mariners general manager five years ago and his rebuilding is finally showing up. Rebuilding is a process and it can become difficult to remain patient while constantly losing. It does not make it any easier that the Mariners have not made the playoffs since 2001. Dipoto’s first draft pick, Kyle Lewis, as Mariners general manager had an amazing season and all the other pieces are falling into place.

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In 2021, we are expecting to see more of the prospects Dipoto has acquired over the years. 2018 first-round draft pick Logan Gilbert is expected to pitch next season. Jarred Kelenic who we acquired from the Mets is on his way in 2021. Taylor Trammell who came from the Austin Nola trade is ready for his debut as well.

There is no better comparison than Nick Fury, who assembled the Avengers during times of crisis. Dipoto practically pressed “refresh” at the top right corner of the page and Fury built the Avengers from scratch. Played by Samuel L. Jackson, Fury is a serious sarcastic leader that led SHIELD. His variety of relationships allowed him to build a team of superheroes to fight the biggest problems of the Marvel world.

Without Fury in the Marvel Universe, there would have been no Avengers. Without Dipoto, there would not be a young group of Mariners on the rise. Who knows what could have happened if Dipoto were not hired? But I am surely happy that the Mariners were able to bring in Dipoto because I think he has done an incredible job. As I said, it has been hard to remain patient but the tide is finally starting to turn. I can see the hope that Nicky Fury has created for us. Seattle Avengers assemble!