Oft-Forgotten Taylor Trammell Could Be a Difference Maker for the Mariners

As the ball carried through the sky towards the seats at T-Mobile Park, a confused Dave Sims (as well as the Astros booth) saw the ball go into Astros center fielder Jose Siri’s glove. The rest of us watching at home saw Taylor Trammell strike his first home run of the 2022 season off of Justin Verlander. A forgotten prospect for many, we should not forget about Trammell and the tools he possesses.

A former top prospect, Taylor Trammell could still be an impact player in MLB 

Taylor Trammell was acquired from the Padres in 2020 along with Ty France, Andres Munoz, and Luis Torrens as a part of the Austin Nola deal. Last week was the first time that all four players had been on the active roster at the same time. All of these players have had big moments, but Trammell has been a roller coaster at the big league level.

Trammell was largely forgotten to begin this season, after a significant hamstring injury sidelined him and sent him down to extended Spring Training. In a surprising and desperate move, the Mariners brought him to Boston to join the team after sending Jarred Kelenic down to Tacoma.

Trammell slashed .160/.256/.359 last season, with a frustrating 42.1 percent strikeout rate according to Fangraphs; he has never posted a strikeout rate above 27.1 percent in the minor leagues. Taylor also only posted one 22-game stretch in his minor league career where his OBP was below .349, other than that he has been an on base machine with a decent enough contact profile.

Trammell’s profile at the big league level has been confusing to say the least so far, showing way more swing and miss than ever before. He has also shown way more power than any of his numbers would ever suggest, hitting 8 bombs in 178 PA in 2021.

According to Fangraphs scouting reports on Trammell’s minor league production, “Trammell is of the Brett Gardner mold: OBP and defense.” If he can get back to the strong OBP numbers he showed in the minor leagues, Trammell can be a real contributor and a jolt in the arm for this baseball team.

Trammell’s tools and size pop off the chart more than Jarred Kelenic or Kyle Lewis, but for some reason Trammell has been forgotten in the minds of many Mariners fans. Taylor is a massive human, and by all accounts an awesome guy to have in the clubhouse.

Mariners fans should really hope Trammell turns a corner, because of how impactful he could be on this roster. Becoming a capable hitter prevents a myriad of second basemen from manning the outfield, but beyond that, his tools could represent a true impact player.