5 things we learned about the Mariners after the opening series

Mariners learning no. 3 – the fight for left-field is getting even more competitive

Kyle Lewis‘ injury is sad news for the Mariners, but it has allowed Jake Fraley and Taylor Trammell to see additional time on the field and they have made the most of it. Taylor Trammell was my lead candidate to start in left field, but Jake Fraley isn’t going down without a fight. On yesterday’s broadcast, Jerry Dipoto told Dave Sims and Mike Blowers that Kyle Lewis is about a week away, so the two will get a little more extended time in the outfield but one of them will be benched or sent down once Lewis is back.

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Taylor Trammell just got his first MLB hit yesterday and has walked a few times but that is about it for his offensive production. The 23-year-old prospect has a .012 xBA, .244 wOBA, and has struck out too often.

Jake Fraley on the other hand has a .355 xBA, .550 wOBA, and a whopping 44.4% walk percentage. He has just been an on-base machine during the Opening Series and is showing patience, despite striking out a bunch in Spring Training.

Both have reliable gloves in the outfield so it really comes down to which outfielder will produce more offensively to play in the outfield once Kyle Lewis returns. The battle is getting intense and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. Another thing to remember, Jarred Kelenic will be up in the big leagues before we know it.