Former Mariners prospect resurfaces with D-backs just in time to troll his old team

When Tyler Locklear was sent to the Diamondbacks at the end of last July, he was seen as necessary collateral damage and the key piece in order to obtain Eugenio Suárez. However, it didn't mean people were happy to see Locklear leave, with his power bat and arm strength highlighting an enticing cocktail of potential. And now, he's showing signs of really making them miss him in Seattle.

Locklear had a rough start to 2026, beginning the season on the Injured List as he continued to recover from offseason surgery to his left elbow and shoulder. (He had also dealt with left elbow inflammation during September last year.) When he came back in May he looked as good as new in Triple-A Reno, hitting .313 with a .897 OPS in 54 games.

Thanks to the 25-year-old's tremendous form combined with the team's mounting injuries, he finally got a much-deserved call-up by the Diamondbacks earlier this month. He has proven to be a breath of fresh air in four appearances, as he looks to finally fulfil his potential in the majors. His latest outing was his best yet in Arizona, as he went 3-for-5 with three RBI, punctuated by this two-run homer:

Tyler Locklear's enthusiasm could be just what's missing in Seattle

What made Locklear's performance on Thursday versus the Cardinals even more impressive, was that he wasn't even meant to play. He came in as a last-minute replacement for Ketel Marte -- another former Mariners prospect -- and made the most of the opportunity. As per Jeff Jones of MLB.com, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo was impressed as he said:

"Not easy to do what he did. He comes to the ballpark, he’s always preparing to play. I know that. But the lineup goes out the night before, and there’s a couple things he’s probably going to come here and work on. And all of the sudden transitions an hour before the ballgame starts and he’s going to be starting at first base. I think he’s got the right mindset. He’s always ready."

Torey Lovullo

It's comments like that as well as flashes of what Locklear is capable of, which must be tough for Mariners fans to deal with. Sure he had his struggles after he was called up by the M's during the 2024 season, particularly with strikeouts. However, 49 plate appearances was always going to be too small of a sample size to draw any conclusions from.

Some painful "What ifs" who could be helping the Mariners right now

Honestly though, we're sure there's plenty of people in Seattle who are happy for the 2022 second-round draft puck. After what he did in Reno, he deserved his shot at playing time. In addition, more generally speaking, Arizona was always going to represent a better bet for him, as soon as the Mariners acquired Josh Naylor to play at first base ahead of last season's trade deadline.

What must be really grating for Mariners fans though, is that if Locklear was still around in the Pacific Northwest, it's likely the team would have liked to have him as a right-handed power source. It's no secret the M's have struggled offensively this season. Assistant hitting coach Bobby Magallanes might have been the one to get fired on Thursday, but he isn't the reason they rank third-worst in the majors in scoring.

Locklear's call-up by the Diamondbacks also has shades of Harry Ford's own recent promotion with the Nationals in Washington. The irony in all of this being that all of a sudden, a bunch of former Mariners right-handed hitters are popping up in the majors, RIGHT WHEN the team is desperately searching for one. The M's could of course find their solution on the trade market between now and Aug. 3, but talk about some potentially painful "What ifs?" isn't helping in the meantime.

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