Meet the 2017 Mariners

Jerry Dipoto was at it again this offseason, once again leading the league in moves made. That leaves the M's with another set of less than familiar faces. Sure the same core remains, but get to know the likes of Danny Valencia, Mitch Haniger, Jean Segura and more who hope to lead the M's to their first playoff appearance since 2001.

Commentary by Scott Hanson • Graphics by Rich Boudet • Development by Thomas Wilburn and Evan Webeck

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1
Jarrod Dyson, LF

  • Age: 32
  • Height: 5-10
  • Weight: 165
  • Bats: Left

Best Case

He gives the Mariners a big boost in athleticism. His great speed is a huge help on defense and his base-stealing puts pressure on opposing teams. He does this while hitting a respectable .280.

Worst Case

He hits about .250 and has an OPS of about .650, which is not good enough for a corner outfielder, no matter how speedy he is.

What's Likely

He saves the Mariners some runs with his defense, but he is a liability at the plate, failing to crack a .700 OPS.

Avg R H HR RBI SB OBP SLG
2016 .278 46 83 1 25 30 .340 .388
Career .260 211 355 7 101 176 .325 .353
Photo by Alan Berner / The Seattle Times
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2
Jean Segura, SS

  • Age: 27
  • Height: 5-10
  • Weight: 205
  • Bats: Right

Best Case

He makes a successful transition from the National League to the American League, and puts up numbers that resemble the outstanding season he had last year with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Worst Case

He can't come close to replicating the breakout season he had last year, and his numbers are similar to what he had in 2015 with the Brewers: a .257 average and six homers in 560 at-bats.

What's Likely

He hits about .290 with 12 homers and 25 stolen bases, giving the Mariners one of the best middle-infield combinations in baseball.

Avg R H HR RBI SB OBP SLG
2016 .319 102 203 20 64 33 .368 .499
Career .280 313 685 43 208 129 .319 .396
Photo by Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times
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22
Robinson Cano, 2B

  • Age: 35
  • Height: 6-0
  • Weight: 210
  • Bats: Left

Best Case

Another season like last year, when he stayed healthy (playing in 161 games) and had perhaps the best season of his career, particularly from a power standpoint as he hit a career-high 39 homers.

Worst Case

After 10 seasons in which he has never played in fewer than 156 games, he spends time on the disabled list. And when healthy, he plays like he did in 2014 and 2015, when he was very solid but not spectacular.

What's Likely

Another very good season, if not quite to last year’s level. A batting average around .300, with 25 homers and 90 runs batted in seems very doable.

Avg R H HR RBI SB OBP SLG
2016 .298 107 195 39 103 0 .350 .533
Career .307 1065 2210 278 1086 50 .355 .498
Photo by Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press
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23
Nelson Cruz, DH

  • Age: 36
  • Height: 6-2
  • Weight: 230
  • Bats: Right

Best Case

The natural regression from age (he turns 37 July 1) is delayed at least another year, and he has his fourth straight 40-homer season while hitting about .280 with an OPS around .900.

Worst Case

The remarkable run he has had in his mid-30s can’t continue, and his numbers take a dramatic drop.

What's Likely

It would seem he could not possibly have another season as good as last year, but the same could have been said before the start of 2015 and 2016. Thirty homers and an OPS around .850 seems likely, another great season but not quite as good as the past three.

Avg R H HR RBI SB OBP SLG
2016 .287 96 169 43 105 2 .360 .555
Career .275 677 1287 284 795 74 .338 .516
Photo by Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times
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15
Kyle Seager, 3B

  • Age: 29
  • Height: 6-0
  • Weight: 210
  • Bats: Left

Best Case

He avoids the long slumps he is prone to, and has the best offensive season of his career. On defense, he plays more like he did in 2014 when he won a Gold Glove than he did last season when he had 22 errors.

Worst Case

He gets off to another poor start, which seems to be customary, and his fielding woes continue.

What's Likely

He will have another good season, hitting about .270 with 25 to 30 home runs and 90 runs batted in. His defense will be improved and he will continue to be one of the team’s most respected leaders.

Avg R H HR RBI SB OBP SLG
2016 .278 89 166 30 99 3 .359 .499
Career .266 408 851 126 437 41 .334 .446
Photo by Charlie Riedel / Associated Press
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17
Mitch Haniger, RF

  • Age: 26
  • Height: 6-2
  • Weight: 215
  • Bats: Right

Best Case

The great offensive numbers he showed the past two years in the minor leagues continue in his first full season in the major leagues. He gives the Mariners great defense, hits about .280 with about 15 homers and 12 stolen bases.

Worst Case

Like a lot of players, he struggles to find the same success he had in the minor leagues. He hits closer to .229, his batting average in 109 major-league at-bats, than he does to .290, his career average in the minors.

What's Likely

There will be some struggles, and he will hit about .260 with 10 home runs, not the production you want from this position.

Avg R H HR RBI SB OBP SLG
2016 .229 9 25 5 17 0 .309 .404
Career .229 9 25 5 17 0 .309 .404
Photo by Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times
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26
Danny Valencia, 1B

  • Age: 32
  • Height: 6-2
  • Weight: 210
  • Bats: Right

Best Case

He hits like he did the past two seasons, with Toronto and Oakland, and is a solid offensive player, if not among the top first basemen in the league.

Worst Case

He’s a liability defensively, regresses offensively to how he hit in 2014 (.667 OPS) and the Mariners are forced to call up Dan Vogelbach quicker than they would have liked.

What's Likely

He will be OK, but he won’t provide the offense teams count on from first basemen, and the Mariners will continue to search for a long-term answer.

Avg R H HR RBI SB OBP SLG
2016 .287 72 135 17 51 1 .346 .446
Career .271 278 613 72 303 8 .317 .430
Photo by Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times
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3
Mike Zunino, C

  • Age: 26
  • Height: 6-0
  • Weight: 220
  • Bats: Right

Best Case

He has the best season of his career, continuing the offensive progress he made last season. He hits about .240 with about 25 homers and 80 runs batted in, while drawing a decent amount of walks and swinging at fewer bad pitches. Meanwhile his defense and his ability to work with pitchers remains very good.

Worst Case

He gets off to a bad start like he did in 2015, he loses his confidence and the Mariners are left wondering whether he is their catcher of the future.

What's Likely

He's going to have a nice season. He will hit about .230 with 20 to 25 home runs and about 70 runs batted in, which will him solidify him as one of the league's better catchers.

Avg R H HR RBI SB OBP SLG
2016 .207 16 34 12 31 0 .318 .470
Career .195 117 219 50 133 1 .262 .370
Photo by Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times
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12
Leonys Martin, CF

  • Age: 29
  • Height: 6-2
  • Weight: 200
  • Bats: Left

Best Case

He proves that the improved power he showed last season, when he 15 home runs (seven more than his previous best) was no fluke, he strikes out much less often and he continues to play very good defense.

Worst Case

The strikeouts continue at an alarming rate and he struggles like he did in 2015 with Texas when he lost his starting job.

What's Likely

Something similar to last season, with an average of around .250 with 12 to 15 homers and about 25 stolen bases. That should satisfy the Mariners as long as his defense remains strong.

Avg R H HR RBI SB OBP SLG
2016 .247 72 128 15 47 24 .306 .378
Career .252 240 467 35 167 108 .305 .366
Photo by Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times
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34
Felix Hernandez, P

  • Age: 30
  • Height: 6-3
  • Weight: 225
  • Throws: Right

Best Case

He rebounds nicely from his worst season since 2008, avoids the disabled list, and wins 15 to 18 games while pitching like the ace he has been for most of his career.

Worst Case

The regression he showed last season continues, he once again can’t stay healthy for an entire season and wins about 10 games.

What's Likely

He will be a bit better than he was last season, but he won’t pitch like he did in the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Expect 12 to 15 wins and an ERA about 3.50, a solid season but not at the Cy Young level that fans had come to expect.

W-L ERA GS IP CG BB Ks
2016 11-8 3.82 25 153.1 0 65 122
Career 154-109 3.16 359 2415.2 25 695 2264
Photo by Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times
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