Mariners Fans Say Thank You For The Memories Kyle Lewis

The Seattle Mariners recently traded Kyle Lewis to the Arizona Diamondbacks which surprised many fans, including myself. Per the Seattle Times, the 27-year-old outfielder’s future was uncertain which led to him being on the trade block.

I can’t speak for all fans, but I think many Mariners fans appreciated Kyle’s commitment and what he has been through. Although things didn’t exactly turn out how we wanted, I think we should celebrate Kyle Lewis’ time in Seattle.

Kyle Lewis was the first draft pick of the Jerry Dipoto-led Seattle Mariners

Back in 2016, Kyle Lewis was the first draft selection after Jerry Dipoto entered the front office in Seattle. Lewis was drafted 11th overall out of Mercer University in Georgia.

The former Mariners outfielder was a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and was rated the 4th best draft prospect by Baseball America. I was certainly excited by the pick, even with a little skepticism about him coming from a lesser-known baseball school.

The Georgia native debuted in 2019 for a brief time, but it was all about 2020 for him.

Kyle Lewis wins the Rookie of the Year Award, giving us hope that he’s the next big thing

After getting a glimpse of Kyle Lewis’ potential in 2019, it was time for him to take on a critical role for the 2020 Seattle Mariners as a 24-year-old. 2020 didn’t end up being a normal year which makes Kyle’s accomplishment even bigger!

Going into the season, no one even thought about Kyle Lewis being a ROY candidate. All eyes were on the likes of Luis Robert, Brendan McKay, Casey Mize, Michael Kopehc, and Jesus Luzardo.

Kyle Lewis got off to a flying start during the pandemic season and he was able to hold on. He hit .455 in the month of July (8 games), .286 in August (28 games), and then .147 in September and October (22 games).

The former Mariner was productive with the bat but he also made some flashy defensive plays. I still remember watching the smoggy game against the Athletics on the TV… The bases were loaded in the first inning and all hope seemed to be lost.

Kyle’s home run robbery was spectacular and I’d argue that it deserves to join the list of best defensive plays in Mariners history. I also think his little hop after the catch was the cherry on top of the energizing play.

I also loved his opening-day home run against Justin Verlander. I remember sitting on the couch and going crazy as soon as he made contact with the ball. I deemed this home run as one of the defining moments of his campaign for the Rookie of the Year Award.

And it wasn’t just these two, he made a few more highlight reel plays.

Things didn’t turn out as planned, but we have a lot to be thankful for

After 2020, injuries have plagued his young career. If you visit his MLB profile page and scroll to the bottom, there is a long list of transactions. It really is unfortunate that Kyle Lewis didn’t turn out to be the next big star in Seattle especially after seeing what he did in 2020.

We saw glimpses of his athleticism, his power, his speed, and his love for the game but he fell short of expectations. It’s easy for me to blame his injuries, but I think he was a good selection for the Mariners in 2016.

I really do cherish the home run robbery, the two home runs against Justin Verlander, and his smile on the field. Jerry Dipoto noted how it wasn’t easy to move on from Kyle because he was a wonderful human being and has been a Mariner his entire career up until the trade.

Kyle Lewis will be a player that I will root for despite him wearing a different jersey. He’s still only 27 and might have some productive years ahead of him. Arizona is rebuilding and some of their top prospects are just starting to see big-league time. Kyle Lewis might have a significant impact on a developing team and could be a great mentor for them.