The Mariners, and their fans, will look to Edgar Martinez to fix teams' hitting woes

Soon after hiring Dan Wilson as the new field manager, the team brought back another legend in Edgar Martinez. An apt selection given that he is one of the few members of the Hall of Fame who spent the vast majority of his career as a designated hitter, Martinez's presence as a coach presents an exciting opportunity for both players and fans.

For those who were around during his playing days, one might recall that many people outside of Seattle were unaware of just how prolific of a hitter he was. Playing on a West Coast schedule where games weren't televised until 10 PM EST, few big market fans got the chance to see him play regularly. More importantly, his style of hitting was drowned out by more serious sluggers like Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, and Barry Bonds. What do those three have in common that Edgar didn't? They put up monstrous single-season home run numbers.

Edgar Martinez will be tasked with fixing the Mariners hitting woes

That's not to say Martinez didn't have power - he hit 309 home runs over his 18-year career. Instead, it means that he had a much more balanced approach, valuing getting on-base, doubles, and RBI more than the occasional long ball. While there was only season (2000) where he hit more than 30 home runs, he had nine seasons with 30+ doubles, leading all of MLB in 1995 and 1992. He also had six seasons of 100+ RBI and eight seasons of 150+ hits.

So what does this mean for the Mariners, a team whose offense has been roasted more than an overcooked hunk of meatloaf at your grandparents' house? It will hopefully fix the team's main hitting issue: fixating on the home run. Seattle has hit 143 jacks this year, 15th in MLB. Not too bad, but every other part of their hitting approach has suffered as a result. Their struggles with hitting breaking balls and lefty pitching this year combined with a "swing-first" mentality that has given them a league-leading 1,308 strikeouts make them far too one-dimensional to be seriously competitive.

During this year's Opening Week Warm-Up, I had the privilege of asking Edgar Martinez about his thoughts on the hitting philosophy that seems to be more prevalent than ever, one that leans heavily into the three true outcomes and rewards exit velocity more than other metric. He said that he never tried to hit home runs and the more than he did, the worse he got. Instead, he cared about spraying the ball to all parts of the field and keeping the ball on a line. While it didn't win him any milk commercials, it's a simple attitude that made him one of the best to ever do it.

If I had to guess, I'd assume that he'd focus on players lowering their launch angles to a more optimal range, enough to get on base or advance runners but not so much that ground balls and double plays become a regular occurence. It would also make sense for the team to work more on maintaining a tight zone and reducing aggression in fresh counts to avoid getting behind. These are all aspects of his own playstyle that he'd undoubtedly pass onto the next generation.

With two franchise hall of famers back in the fold, a bright future lies ahead for Seattle. Despite its ups and downs, the struggles of 2024 might have been a necessary catalyst for jumpstarting a better long-term outlook for the squad.