First couple weeks of the season, I kept looking at the home runs column on Nelson Cruz' season page on Baseball Reference dot com, and I'd squint, nervously, as I only saw one or two. I was worried the legend that had become Nelson Cruz was beginning to fade again, like it was 2011. I was legitimately scared for Nelson Cruz, a guy who hadn't played for a team I'd openly rooted for since his stint on the 2014 Orioles.
And then...very soon after...the fire returned to Nelson's swing. And very soon, even amidst the flurry of injuries running around Seattle, Nelson Cruz got back to what he does best, and that's pounding the hell out of the ball.
The Mariners have had a season where literally everyone who's been good for them, including Mitch Haniger, James Paxton, Felix Hernandez, Robinson Cano and Hisashi Iwakuma, have had some sort of injury that's cost several games. I don't know how it's happened, but it's engulfed the entire starting rotation, leaving them with only a 4.00+ ERA performance from Yovani Gallardo left standing. The kids they're bringing up to replace people are unknowns that can't get a grasp on the ball. It's actually pretty pathetic. No matter what Nelson Cruz and Robinson Cano do at the plate, it's nothing if they have no pitching to back them.
Cruz is probably gonna keep hitting like hell, keep the home runs coming...but I don't think the Mariners can do anything until they get at least one prominent starter back.
Coming Tomorrow- He's finished second in the MVP voting twice. TWICE. Plus, his team's never been on top his entire career at 1st. Maybe this year...all of this changes?
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