3 key reasons Mariners were able to break out the brooms in their sweep of the Reds

Reason #3: Jonatan Clase brought a spark to the team

If you're straight looking at the box score, you may not understand what I mean here. 2-11 with a slash line of .182/.250/.273. He had a double and two RBI, and was able to steal his first base in the majors. Yeah, it's an okay line, but it's so much more than that.

Clase never really looked overmatched at the plate, showing a bit of struggle occasionally, but much less than you would expect from a 21-year-old making his major league debut. He would've had another double if not for a spectacular play in shallow left field by Elly De La Cruz, who seemed to cover 200 feet of ground while making a sliding play to rob Clase. With how the ball flared out there, Clase easily would've gotten to second with his speed if it landed.

If we can see a line of .240/.310 from Clase, he's never going to go back down. That speed is a game-changer, and there was a buzz and excitement every time he came to the plate because every single person watching wanted to watch what would happen if he ended up on first base. By no means am I saying that Clase is going to all of a sudden be the next massive superstar, but he's long been a guy I thought would see success going back to 2021.

"Your Mariners 2024 Center Fielder is… Jonatan Clase. He has 16 steals in 57 plate appearances for the Rookie team and hasn’t been caught. As he grew, there is actually some power there as well. He could be a 15 homer – 70 steal guy. Everything you wanted from Billy Hamilton, might be found in Clase."

- Chris O'Day (That's me!)

Am I tooting my own horn? Is it too early to do so? I don't care. I'm stoked to see Clase up in the majors, and it brought back a buzz and excitement to this team that sorely needed it. Clase was a big reason the Mariners had success this series, and I would love to see it continue going forward.