Victor Robles and 4 Mariners who will make or break the 2025 season

2B Ryan Bliss

Second base was decidedly unsettled when the Mariners opened camp in February, though newly anointed Gold Glover Dylan Moore seemed to be the favorite for the gig.

That changed as Bliss had a strong showing in the Cactus League (.308 AVG) while Moore most definitely did not (.136 AVG). Thus did Bliss prove to the Mariners that he's ready not just to be a contributor, but potentially a difference-maker.

“Ryan has done such a great job of taking to this idea of identity and his identity as a player,” manager Dan Wilson said, per Steve Stockmar of MLB.com. “Defensively, he handles the ball. Offensively, he’s gonna use the middle of the field and get on base. And when he gets on base, he’s gonna use his legs."

Ideally, Bliss will serve as a second leadoff man for Wilson at the bottom of the order. Assuming his on-base skills are so much as decent, he'll get plenty of chances to show off the speed that resulted in 55 total steals in 2023 and 2024.

The 25-year-old Bliss does only have 33 major league games under his belt, however, and the swing-and-miss in his game showed as he fanned 22 times in only 71 plate appearances last season. If that continues to be an issue, the Mariners may have to move Jorge Polanco back to the keystone or otherwise begin searching for a new regular from scratch.