Midseason Grades: Seattle Mariners
Listed in: BaseballSo with the baseball season headed into the All-Star Break, it's time to hand out grades for my squad, the Seattle Mariners. Grading is a combination of overall contribution to the club, but viewed through the eyes of my preseason expectations. Of course, the team as a whole has exceeded all but the most optimistic expectations, and they've got fans here in Seattle more excited about baseball than we've been in five or so years. Today, the position players go under the microscope...tomorrow (or as soon as I get to it), the pitchers.
Position Players
Adrian Beltre - B: Beltre gets a lot of crap for his contract, and for the fact that he's so far failed to come close to duplicating his 2004 season in Seattle. But throw that out the window, and you're left with a guy who's posting an .815 OPS (118 OPS+) in a park that's death to righties, and doing it while playing excellent defense at third. Sure, it would be nice to see some more home runs (though he's on a hot streak now), and he's prone to long, ugly slumps. But you know what? There aren't many teams in baseball who have a better third baseman than Beltre.
Yuniesky Betancourt - D: After breaking onto the scene with a strong rookie season last year, Betancourt has regressed in just about every facet of the game. He's got a .682 OPS (81 OPS+), and while he still has sick range he's already committed 19 errors, one fewer than last year. His tendency towards pop-ups is extremely frustrating, and he's the least patient hitter (.301 OBP) on a team of free swingers. At this point, it's a bit painful having him in the lineup every day, though the M's don't have any other legitimate options.
Willie Bloomquist - C+: While Boom Boom is a favorite whipping boy of most Mariners bloggers, he's actually having a respectable season. While his .688 OPS may seem pathetic, he's actually played fairly decently the last month despite having to step into the starting lineup way too many times. His versatility as a defender and his baserunning abilities make him a useful guy to have on the bench, but the team would be well served to limit his at-bats the rest of the season.
Ben Broussard - B-: Big Ben has done a pretty good job whenever and wherever he's been inserted into the lineup. He's posted a 119 OPS+, which, while not stellar for a first baseman/corner outfielder is serviceable enough, especially for a guy who doesn't play every day. He's also come through with some clutch hits, as evidenced by his being second on the team in Win Probability Added.
Jose Guillen - B-: Guillen is another one of the Mariner hitters who, while not having a fantastic season, has still been a boon to the club. His 113 OPS+ is above his career numbers, and so far he's defied expectations by both remaining healthy and being a positive factor in the clubhouse. He's a bit slowfooted, which doesn't matter as much in Safeco (and with Ichiro next to him), but he's shown several times this year that his throwing arm is recovered from elbow surgery. In short, he's been a solid investment for a club that hasn't made many of them this offseason.
Jamie Burke - A: While it seems strange to grade a back-up catcher this highly, Burke has been huge for the Mariners this year. Last season, Rene Rivera posted an OPS+ of 15. Yes, that's 1-5. This season, Burke's OPS+ is 134. Not only does that mean the club actually gets production when they choose to rest Kenji Johjima, but it also means they can rest him more frequently, something that will hopefully keep him fresh for a potential pennant race in the second half.
Jason Ellison - D: Ok, this might be a bit harsh. After all, Ellison is the 25th man on the roster, used as a pinch-runner and late-innings defensive replacement. And his defense has been solid enough. But he's just 1-2 in stolen base opportunities and has a .318 OPS (-12 OPS+). Sure, it's in just 34 at-bats, and they've been scattered throughout the season, but still, you'd like to see a bit more from the guy, if only so you could feel better pinch-running for Ibanez, or Guillen, or Broussard in late-game situations.
Raul Ibanez - C-: Ok, so no one expected him to match his season from a year ago (33 homers, 128 OPS+). And sure, he's hit better as the season has progressed. But the bigger problem with Ibanez is that his defense has gotten to the point where he needs to be DHed. His offense is valuable enough to keep him in the lineup, but he just can't cover the spacious left field in Safeco. Now, I know he's not the guy who keeps writing his name in the lineup card
Kenji Johjima - B+: Kenji is turning out to be one of Bill Bavasi's best moves. He's provided a solid bat and solid defense at the catcher position, and done so for below market value. He got off to a very hot start this year, and while he's been struggling a bit at the plate lately, his overall contribution (112 OPS+) has been welcome for a team that, prior to the 2006 season, had historically gotten little out of the catcher's position, at least offensively.
Jose Lopez - B: Lopez heads into the break with decent numbers offensively (94 OPS+), but it's the improvement in his defense which gives him a good grade. Last year, he struggled with his range, but it seems to have improved somewhat this year. He has good power to left field, but the team for some reason has tried to turn him into a slap hitter. At this point, he's a slightly above average second baseman, but bump his power a bit and maybe get him to take a few walks and he becomes a much more valuable player. He's also still just 23 years old.
Richie Sexson - D: While ol' Dick Sexson may traditionally be a slow starter, this year is taxing the patience of both fans and the organization. The team isn't paying him an eight-figure salary for him to post a 95 OPS+ and play crappy defense at first base. A second-half surge would certainly help the team out a great deal, and there are a few encouraging signs: his strikeout numbers and walk numbers are better than they were in 2006, and he's posting a ridiculously low .212 BABIP. On the down side, he's hitting fewer line drives. While the second half might be better, at this point Richmond has been quite a weak point for the M's.
Ichiro Suzuki - A+: Boy, moving Ichiro to center has done wonders for the team. Now, his 135 OPS+ makes him a legit MVP candidate, at least when you couple it with his stellar defense. After a slow April, Ichiro has been on fire the last two months and continues to amaze me with his brilliance on the field. If he keeps it up, and the Mariners make a surprising playoff run, he might add another MVP to his mantle.
Jose Vidro - F: Part of this isn't his fault, he's just terribly mis-cast as a designated hitter. While he has a respectable .349 OBP, his utter lack of speed and power mostly negate that plus. Additionally, because the team gave up players to get him (and are paying him quite a lot of money) he's keeping the team from DHing Ibanez and calling up Adam Jones. Throw in a league-high number of double plays, and you've got a failing grade.
