Mariners vs. Marlins: Ryan brings bliss, Gilbert guts the fish, Julio "Rob"riguez

The Mariners narrowly avoid getting swept by the Marlins despite a 9-0 blowout victory in the second game

Seattle Mariners v Miami Marlins
Seattle Mariners v Miami Marlins | Megan Briggs/GettyImages
1 of 3

In what should've been a pretty straightforward series, Seattle struggled against one of their easier opponents. The Marlins have a winning percentage of just 35.1% and have the third-worst run differential in MLB at -121. However, aside from the second game of the series, the Mariners just couldn't seem to put it together.

Best Hitter: Ryan Bliss

11 PA, .600/.636/1.000, 6 H, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 R, 4 RBI, 1 K, 1 HBP

Since making his debut in late May, Ryan Bliss has been as advertised. Originally acquired from the Diamondbacks as a part of the Paul Sewald trade, he was their #16 ranked prospect in 2022 before a lackluster season reduced his prospect stock. Since being called up, he's slashed .265/.345/.429 over 57 plate appearances and has added some much-needed on-base ability to the lineup, leading the team among hitters with more than 20 plate appearances. He had two, three-hit games to kick things off and collected ten total bases.

The roster will get interesting once Jorge Polanco returns from the IL. He's been hitting incredibly well in Triple-A, posting a 1.474 OPS over 19 plate appearances and looks poised to return to the majors in his full form. However, the Mariners will hopefully look for ways to keep Bliss around, even if it requires some platooning/shuffling of names.

Honorable Mention: Dominic Canzone

10 PA, .556/.600/.889, 5 H, 1 HR, 4 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K

Canzone continues to stay hot in the month of June, bringing his OPS for the month to .932, a massive improvement over the .527 OPS fans saw from him in May. The biggest improvement that he's made is his plate discipline, having drawn seven walks this month instead of just two last month. Don't worry, he's still taking big swings when he needs to.

Schedule