4 Mariners players who are putting up eye-catching numbers this Spring

Spring training is winding down, and roster decisions are almost complete. The Mariners rode a wicked rollercoaster this offseason, but the front office was able to make this team better for the 2024 season. While the numbers on the back of their baseball cards look great, it is time for the players who need to show something - well, to show something.

The Mariners front office had to work within a much smaller budget than they anticipated, so hard decisions of cutting payroll had to be made. Marco Gonzales, Eugenio Suarez and Robbie Ray all got shipped out of town, and Teoscar Hernandez was never offered a qualifying offer. But the Mariners brought in Mitch Garver, Mitch Haniger, Jorge Polanco and Luis Urias to fill in the holes made by trimming the roster. With all of that turnover, the lineup had to be better, right?

Some of the new players have flourished so far this Spring. Some of the rookies and prospects have been surprisingly good so far. If the Mariners want to compete for a division title, or a World Series bid, then these new guys are going to have to step up, and that starts this Spring. Here are 4 Mariners players who have done just that.

Mitch Haniger

We all know what Mitch Haniger can do. He has proven that if he stays healthy, he can be a key cog in the lineup. The problem with Haniger is that he just can't seem to stay healthy. He has not played a full season since 2021, and the Mariners decided not to bring him back as a free agent in the 2023 offseason. He ended up signing with the San Francisco Giants, where he missed about half the season again.

He was not all that effective by the Bay, either. He hit just .209/.266/.365/.631 in 61 games with the Giants. It is safe to say that moving from Seattle to San Francisco did not go well at all, and the Giants were willing to move him. The Mariners needed offense, and with the starting rotation already set, the Mariners traded Robbie Ray to the Giants for Hanny and Anthony DeSclafani. DeSclafani was later dealt, along with three other players, to the Minnesota Twins for Jorge Polanco

Obviously he would need to stay healthy for things to work out in his second Mariners stint, and he is already putting up big numbers down in Peoria. In 32 at bats, Mitch is hitting .406/457/.844 with a 1.301 OPS. He has also hit 4 home runs, and drove in 6. While nobody expects him to duplicate his 39 home runs in 2021, he could still provide enough to be a worthy starter in that lineup. I can't wait for his return on Opening Day.

Jorge Polanco

The Mariners have struggled at the second base position for some time now. Not since the days of Robinson Cano have the Mariners had a player they can rely on at second base. They may have found their guy in Jorge Polanco.

Polanco was acquired from the Minnesota Twins for Anthony DeSclafani, Justin Topa, and a few prospects. They paid a heavy price for his services, and he is already showing Mariners fans why it cost so much to get him. Jorge is hitting .444/.512/.778 with a 1.290 OPS this spring. He has also homered 3 times and has driven in 15. Polanco is a switch hitter who can play both second and third base.

Like Haniger, Polanco has struggled to stay on the field over the past few seasons. He played in just 104 games in 2022, and just 80 games in 2023. But unlike Haniger, Polanco put together a great half of a season in 2023. He hit .255/.335/.454/.789 with an OPS+ of 115 (About 15% higher than an average player).

The Mariners will need Polanco to stay healthy if they want their second base woes to end. He has stayed healthy all Spring, and has looked like the player who earned MVP votes in 2019. Polanco was well respected in the Twins clubhouse, and that sould be true in the Mariners clubhouse as well. Veterans like Polanco, Haniger and Mitch Garver will provide the kind of veteran leadership that this team has needed for a long time.

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?