3 surprisingly hot hitters for the Mariners in the second half

There are few postseason contenders with as many offensive shortcomings as the Seattle Mariners. However, a few players have started to pick it up towards the end of the summer, just in time for the last leg of a division race against the Houston Astros. Who has been leading the charge at the plate for the squad since the Midsummer Classic?

#3. Mitch Haniger

51 PA, .220/.373/.463, 9 H, 1 2B, 3 HR, 9 R, 4 RBI, 9 BB, 15 K, 1 HBP

Haniger has had far fewer ups than downs this year, a potential sign that he may be coming up on the twilight of his major league career. However, things might be starting to turn around for the eight-year veteran. After posting a .570 OPS in May and a .601 OPS in June, he saw a slight uptick in production in July, bumping his numbers up to a .646 OPS. Dissecting his July even further shows that he was even better in the second half of the month, indicating that a short break might have been exactly what he needed to return to 2022 form.

He's still not hitting for a high average and is consequently limited in his slugging percentage but he's managed to compensate by exercising excellent plate discipline, reaching a preposterous 18.2% walk rate in July over 55 plate appearances. In a limited sample of just 15 plate appearances in August, he's already slugging enough to bring his cumulative second-half OPS to a respectable .836, a marked improvement over the .655 OPS he has over the whole season.

Speaking of plate discipline...

#2. Victor Robles

63 PA, .345/.397/.483, 20 H, 2 2B, 2 HR, 8 R, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 8 K, 2 HBP, 6 SB

After being designated for assignment and subsequently released by the Washington Nationals, Robles didn't seem like a very promising player. To be fair, he only appeared in 14 games for the Nationals before being cut from the roster but his .401 OPS at the time of his release wasn't much to write home about. So how has he been since signing with the Mariners on June 4? Well, his .934 OPS and 172 OPS+ lead the entire roster, qualified or not.

He has "cooled down" since first bursting onto the scene but is still at a .880 OPS after the All-Star break. Most importantly, his high batting average has been exactly what the team has needed. His ability to put the ball in play and avoid strikeouts has been a welcome sight in recent weeks.

#1. Jorge Polanco

62 PA, .268/.323/.589, 15 H, 3 2B, 5 HR, 11 R, 11 RBI, 5 BB, 17 K, 1 SB

Among a list of unexpected names, Jorge Polanco might be the most flabbergasting. After a painfully ineffective .566 OPS in the first half, he has stormed back in a big way. He's finally rediscovered the power than made him a great bat in Minnesota, helping him accumulate 33 total bases in the second half, five more than the next player on the team. He's also batting .364 with runners in scoring position, over this span.

While Polanco's numbers for the season are still below-average with an OPS+ of 87, he can make up some real ground if he keeps up this torrid pace. Can he finally be the one to break the streak of Seattle second basemen with disappointing numbers at the plate? If he does, it just might be enough to secure the team's spot at the top of the AL West.