Three Mariners Duds for the first month of the season
Even though the Mariners have had stud performances from Logan Gilbert, J.P. Crawford, and Ty France, they also have had their share of duds to start the season. Here are three unfortunate duds the Mariners have had so far this season:
Mariners Dud #1: Jarred Kelenic
Kelenic has struggled to replicate the success he had at the end of the 2021 season, hitting just .134, with a .487 OPS in the first month of 2022. A substantial drop in production from the end of 2021 when he hit .248, with a .854 OPS. Although his defense has been much improved (he has five defensive runs saved (DRS) versus last year when he had -16 DRS), his lack of production at the plate has been startling, to say the least.
Hopefully, over time with more at-bats, this season Kelenic’s production will be closer to his production at the end of last season. Otherwise, a demotion to AAA could be in Kelenic’s future if his offensive production does not show signs of improvement.
Mariners Dud #2: Jesse Winker
Winker was expected to be a nice addition to the Mariners lineup after they acquired him and Eugenio Suarez in a deal with the Reds. However, his batting average and slugging percentage have dipped remarkably since joining the Mariners in 2022. Currently, he is batting just .190 with a .228 slugging percentage in the first month of the season.
Far below his career batting average of .283 and slugging percentage of .488. Some of his struggles have been due to hitting the ball hard, but right at the opposing team’s fielders. However, his significant drop in power and consistent hitting is still cause for concern.
Mariners Dud #3: Matt Brash
This is a difficult selection for dud given Matt Brash’s youth and inexperience in the big leagues, but one cannot argue with the rough start to his career. Though Brash has shown flashes of the great pitcher he can be with his wipeout slider, his bloated ERA tells another story. Through the first month of the season, Brash has the worst ERA of any Mariners starter sitting at 6.88 in four starts.
The Mariners could be tempted to call-up starting pitcher George Kirby who has dazzled in AA Arkansas with a 1.82 ERA in five starts. However, this will be a big decision to make given the desire to give Brash more big-league experience. Although, a demotion to AAA Tacoma could be in Matt Brash’s future if he continues to struggle and leave a hole in the Mariners’ rotation.