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10 opposing hitters that owned the Mariners in 2023
Who completely owned the Mariners in 2023? Let's look at the 10 hitters who did the best against Seattle in 2023.
You can find almost anything on the internet if you both know how to ask and where to look. I was pondering who were the Mariners "Killers" of 2023, the ones who did the best against the team, and decided to look into it. The results had some very familiar names and some surprising ones as well. There were some others on the list, and the Astros trio of Tucker, Alvarez, and Altuve all did their own damage, but I don't want to talk about the Astros.
I decided to throw a number of 20 AB on here as the minimum. Sure, there were guys who did well, but I wanted to see the ones who did damage against the Mariners. Sorry Jason Heyward, Alejandro Kirk, and Nick Castellanos... actually, no, not sorry. I'm glad we didn't have to see you or face you anymore than we already did. They went a combined 23-41 with 4 2B, 3 HR, and 7 runs scored.
So, we will start off with some guys from the AL Central who had the Mariners number this year. I think this is the weirdest group of guys, and ones you wouldn't really expect. It does hurt that one of the names on here was one of the FA that many fans wanted last season. I'm breaking this into three sections. Some AL Central guys, others who just straight up were impressive, and then... ewww. The Rangers.
Cubs/Royals: Nelson Velazquez: 10-26, 4 HR, 9 R, 9 RBI, .385/.407/.885
We start off with possibly the guy who played the best against the Mariners. Others may have had a better average, OBP, or SLG, they may have driven in more runs, but what makes it so impressive for Velazquez is the fact that he did it in just 26 AB. He had 10 hits and scored 9 times. Imagine scoring nearly every time you get on base. If someone like, oh I dont know, Marcus Semien did that, he might just score 17 times in a season against the Mariners.
Twins: Edouard Julien: 11-24, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 5 BB, 7 R, .458/.552/.917
Julien had a .552 OBP against the Mariners this season, and it's almost hard to comprehend a number like that. In 29 trips to the plate, he got on base 16 times. That's wild. He made sure to make the most of it, going deep 3 times and scoring 7 times. Pair him with the next guy on the list, and you're in for a rough day.
Twins: Max Kepler: 11-27, 2 HR, 7 R, 8 RBI, .407/.414/.741
The fact that two Twins make this list shows how a couple of players can make a massive difference in a series, or even throughout the season. Together they combined for 5 HR, 14 R, and 12 RBI. When you get that from just two hitters, it makes it easy for a team to steal a couple of games. The Mariners still managed to go 4W3L against the Twins, but Kepler and Julien kept it from being any worse.
White Sox: Andrew Benintendi: 10-22, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .450/.500/.818
This one stinks, because he was a name that many a Mariners fan wanted them to sign for 2023. Honestly, he struggled a bit this season, but that wasn't the case against the Mariners. He had one of the best slash lines in baseball against them, and they're lucky he wasn't in a position more often to do damage against the Mariners.
Athletics: Esteury Ruiz: 10-34, 3 2B, 1 3B, 8 SB, .294/.333/.441
Some guys are scary because of the power that they have. With Ruiz, it's the exact opposite. Think of the line from The Longest Yard "That man's fast, I mean, he's so fast he makes fast people look not fast." It's not the OBP or the SLG, even the BA. None of them are impressive or scary on their own. It's the 8 SB, though. Every time he got to first base, you knew he was going. The man could bunt and steal back-to-back bases, and be on third without the ball getting past the pitcher. If he can get on a lot against a team, he could easily have 12-15 SB against a single team in 2024.
Blue Jays: Matt Chapman: 10-23, 5 2B, 4 RBI, .435/.500/.652
Chapman stands out, to me at least, as the one who broke Easton McGee's no-hit bid up in Toronto earlier this year with a double off the wall. Unfortunately, that was the last we saw of McGee, as he tore his UCL on that pitch. Half of the hits that he had were doubles this season, and even though he didn't do a lot of damage in driving guys in, he got on base in half his ABs, and seemed to set the stage for the Jays every time he came to the plate.
Angels: Shohei Ohtani: 13-36, 4 HR, 8 R, 8 RBI, 6 BB, .361/.452/.750
I don't know about you, but i am ecstatic that we don't (hopefully) have to see Ohtani in the AL West against us anymore. Ohtani is just so good, and he hit some mammoth homers against the Mariners, including a 450+ foot homer. That slash line is just so good, and the fear that he instills whenever he steps up to the plate is palpable. Who knows, maybe he will end up with the Mariners starting in 2024... how nice would that be.
Rangers: Corey Seager: 13-36, 3 HR, 9 R, 9 RBI, .361/.439/.694
This team. Man, do they have some guys who dominate the Mariners. We start with Kyle's brother, Corey Seager. I remember back when he was a free agent, plenty of Mariners fans were hoping that Corey would end up in Seattle. Maybe if things would've ended a little more amicably with Kyle, they would've had a better shot at getting Corey. It sure would've helped in 2023, as he destroyed the Mariners when they played.
9 R and 9 RBI with a near 440 OBP really hurts to see. Think about what that would be over the course of a season... that's pushing 150 RBI, 150 R, and 50 HR. That's the kinda smackdown he put on the Mariners in their games against the younger Seager.
Rangers: Marcus Semien: 15-53, 4 2B, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 11 R, .283/.333/.585
Well, it wasn't 17, but Semien still scored a lot of runs against the Mariners. Semien had more at-bats since Seager missed some time with an injury early in the season. He didn't do as much damage per AB that Seager did, but it seemed like he always got a big hit when it mattered. It ticks Mariners fans off even more when you realize that Semien reportedly didn't even want to meet with the Mariners in free agency.
Rangers: Jonah Heim: 13-44, 1 HR, 14 RBI, .295/.340/.432
Sure, this has all been Rangers up to this point, but this guy. Man, I can't stand Jonah Heim ever since last season when he had the back-to-back walk-off wins against the Mariners. He only had a single homer against them this season, but 14 RBI was the most against the Mariners by any player. It wasn't that his slash line was amazing, but 14 RBI just sucks as a fan. Whenever he came to the plate with someone on base, he drove them in.
Hmmm. Maybe, just maybe, spending money on prime hitters makes your team better and your offense better. Just a thought. Maybe someone should tell John Stanton about that.