Ryan Bliss
While Ryan Bliss balled out this Spring, it just was not enough to earn him a roster spot come Opening Day. Bliss was sent down on March 23rd and will debut in 2024 with the Tacoma Rainiers. While that is disappointing for Bliss, he will be able to earn every day at-bats in Tacoma, as opposed to a bench role in Seattle.
Why are we even talking about Bliss, who has not even debuted in the Majors yet? Well, the kid can absolutely rake. This Spring, Bliss hit .333/.368/.500 with an OPS of .868. He hit three doubles and a single home run. He stumbled a bit in the field with a few errors, something that did not help his cause to make the Opening Day Roster. He should be able to clean that up down in Tacoma, and he could be the first in line to get a call-up should there be an injury with the big club.
The Mariners acquired Bliss from the Arizona Diamondbacks at the trade deadline last season. Bliss came over with outfielder Dominic Canzone for the ever popular closer Paul Sewald. I, like most Mariners fans, was upset with this trade. Canzone has shown true potential, and had already debuted with the Mariners. So while Canzone gets most of the attention, Bliss should not be overlooked. Do not let his small stature (5'6, 165lbs) fool you, Bliss has some power in that bat. Could he be the next Jose Altuve?