Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
The Seattle Mariners haven’t had much luck at the shortstop position for 15 years. That’s when Alex Rodriguez left Seattle for biggest contract in sports at the time (10 years, $252 million with the Texas Rangers). It seems the Mariners’ luck has finally changed, with Ketel Marte taking the leap to MLB last season. Fans can attest to how bad the Mariners’ shortstops have been in recent seasons, so a player like Marte is a welcome sight between second and third base.
Sure the sample size from Marte is somewhat small, but it’s encouraging. Not only did he hit .283 in 247 at bats, Marte had an OBP of .351. Although he only had eight stolen bases last season, with a full season it wouldn’t be surprising for him to pass the 20 stolen base mark. His numbers were consistent throughout Triple-A as well, so the stats in the majors last season were by no means a fluke.
Besides Brad Miller in 2014, a Mariners shortstop has not started higher than the seventh spot in the batting order on Opening Day in 15 years. Marte is expected to start the season in the No. 2 spot, with his speed and OBP giving the Mariners something they have needed immensely in recent seasons. He could continue to hold that spot for years to come as well, as he isn’t a free agent until 2022. Having a player like Marte at the age of 22, with the length of control the Mariners have, has been known to help contenders become winners when it comes playoff time.
The only Mariners shortstops to have even close to comparable stats to Marte in over a decade are Yuniesky Betancourt and Carlos Guillen, and even they didn’t play up to the potential Marte has. Betancourt had two different seasons where he hit .289 with the Mariners, but his OBP was atrocious at .310 and .308 in those campaigns. They were also Betancourt’s first two full seasons with the Mariners, with his stats quickly declining after those years. He was inconsistent at best in the field as well, something Marte has shined at.
Guillen makes it a little tougher argument for best Mariners shortstop in the last 15 years, but if you look at what he did in Seattle instead of his entire career, it becomes more clear. Guillen only hit over .275 in one season (.276 in 2003) and never had over four stolen bases in a season as a Mariner. Guillen’s OBP as a Mariner topped out at .359 in 2003, but it was no higher than .333 in any other season in Seattle.
To put all of this in perspective, the Mariners haven’t had a great shortstop since Ichiro Suzuki signed with them. That is a long time. Marte could finally bring some stability to a position that has long been a thorn in the side of the Mariners. Sure, it could just be getting fans’ hopes up, but I have a feeling Ketel Marte is a name Seattle will be hearing for a long time.
