Mariners have a better excuse than Colt Emerson to drop Leo Rivas like a bad habit

Though the national media has become downright apocalyptic with its coverage of Cal Raleigh, he isn't actually the Seattle Mariners' worst hitter. That dishonor belongs to Leo Rivas, and it's past time for the team to consider dropping him in favor of someone else.

Rivas has played in 36 games this year and produced a .137 average and a 32 OPS+. The latter is the third-worst mark among hitters with at least 100 plate appearances, and hope for things to get better is basically nonexistent.

The story of Rivas' pro career is a wholesome one, and he did some stuff last year that made him a cult sort of fan favorite. But when it comes down to it, he's a 5-foot-7, 150-pounder whose expected stats (i.e., xwOBA, xBA and xSLG) are all in the 1st percentile.

Send him down and finally call up Colt Emerson? The Mariners could do that… or they could send Rivas down and call up Brock Rodden instead.

Brock Rodden has earned a shot to show Mariners what he can do

Mariners fans have been clamoring for Emerson ever since he inked a $95 million contract in April, if not before then. And he isn't quieting everyone down right now, as he's turned on the power with six home runs in his last 18 games for Triple-A Tacoma.

Yet the catch with Emerson remains the same. He should be promoted only when he'll have a clear chance to play every day. With J.P. Crawford at shortstop* and Brendan Donovan at third base, that time isn't right now. And besides, the Mariners should want to see the 20-year-old's strikeout rate dip lower than 26.3 percent.

*Granted, Emerson can't possibly be worse than Crawford at shortstop, but that dead horse has been beaten enough already.

Rodden, on the other hand, has a defensive profile that gives off Rivas-like energy. Just as Rivas can play second, third and short, so has Rodden for Tacoma so far in 2026. The 25-year-old has even put in some time in left field. That versatility is partly why MLB Pipeline has him ranked as Seattle's No. 18 prospect, though his speed and baseball IQ are likewise in the equation.

The bat, meanwhile, is cooking. The switch-hitting Rodden collected 12 doubles just through the end of April, and he's upped the ante with a .951 OPS and four home runs so far in May.

In some ways, Rodden is Leo Rivas' Wario. He's only 5-foot-7, 170 pounds in his own right, and beneath his extra-base power has always been a larger-than-you-want strikeout rate. Yet given how little (i.e., basically nothing) the Mariners have gotten from Rivas, none of this sours Rodden's appeal.

Getting Rodden involved would first require putting him on the 40-man roster, which would mean kicking someone else off. Rivas has an option left, so on the chopping block instead could be someone like Ryan Bliss, Miles Mastrobuoni or even Victor Robles or Rob Refsnyder.

Calling on Rodden wouldn't quite be a desperate times/desperate measures thing for the Mariners. But it would at least be a measure, and a 21-23 record through 44 games should have the team considering as many of those as possible.

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