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Candidate #2: Samad Taylor
Samad Taylor was who I thought would have been called up to replace J.P. Crawford. But he has some things working against him at the moment. Taylor was already called up this season when Ty France went on baby leave during the Milwaukee series, so the team may not have wanted to burn another option. Plus, Samad is struggling down in Tacoma this year.
Taylor's slash line is .219/.333/.238/.661. He has struck out 24 times in his 64 at-bats, for a strikeout percentage of 37.5%. That is a real problem that does not translate well to the Major League. He has walked 10 times so far down in AAA, which is boosting that on-base percentage. In AAA in 2023, when he was a Kansas City Royals farmhand, He struck out just 25.3% of the time. I expect Samad to get those strikeouts under control, and if he does, we could see him in the Majors again soon.
Candidate #3: Ryan Bliss
Ryan Bliss, like Leo Rivas, is not a big guy by any means. He is listed as 5'7, 165 LBS. But the kid can hit. The Mariners acquired Bliss in the Paul Sewald trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Bliss dominated AA ball in 2023, and that was a big reason the Mariners targeted him in that trade. He hit .358 with a .414 on-base percentage and a 1.008 OPS. He played well in the Arizona Fall League as well, but like Samad Taylor above, he struggles with the strikeout.
Taylor has struck out in 33.3% of his at-bats down in Tacoma this year. Like Taylor, that may have been the reason Leo Rivas was chosen over him. He has walked an impressive 17 times, which is why the on base percentage is so high. He is also quite the base stealer. In 2023, He stole 55 bases between AA and AAA. He has already stolen 12 bases this season down in Tacoma.
Bliss has yet to make his Major League debut, and he is still just 24 years old. He has time to cut down the strikeouts, and he has shown that he can. Even with a .226 average, his OPS is still .818. His speed is Elite, as his on-base skills. I still think Bliss will make his debut in 2024, and if he strikes out less, he will be up much sooner than people