The Geno Reinvention

 

Eugenio Suarez made his career on hitting for average and power at the same time, and then ruined it by forgetting to do either. 

Look, I got to see Geno during his prime years in Cincinnati, and he was great. I don't think he hit any out while we were there, but he seemed to have a handle on things, and was a perfectly cool corner infielder. And then he became a one-dimensional 200 strikeouts guy who stopped being able to contact hit. 2021, Geno hits 35 home runs while forgetting to hit over .200, I think everybody was just kinda fed up with him. 

With Seattle, however, Suarez was able to reinvent himself slightly, and get back to where he was. Suarez has been an odd kind of player to classify, because his power number are so good, but he strikes out 200 times a year and isn't a great defender. We've got a lot of guys like that, Kyle Schwarber being the most notable right now. Suarez, however, is just a really powerful hitter, and even if the finer stats aren't proving that, he still has 72 RBIs and 16 homers right now. Even with Ty France, Teoscar Hernandez and Julio Rodriguez on this team, Suarez still leads the team in RBIs, and honestly I'm glad they have a guy like that who can just pound. It used to be a more tangible figure like Nelson Cruz, but Suarez is no slouch, and he's at least been reliable for extra runs this year, even if it's not as multi-dimensional as he's used to.

The Mariners, by the way, are 17-8 since the All-Star break. The biggest development in the AL West has been the Ms catching fire while the Angels have sank, and the Mariners have done this without a great deal of deadline buying. It's really as simple as they people they've been relying on have finally shown up. Cal Raleigh is up to 20 home runs, a team-leading total, and he's still an excellent lineup presence. Teoscar Hernandez has been hot lately, upping his RBI total to 60. Logan Gilbert has joined George Kirby as 10-game winning starters, and has 138 Ks so far. And while he's not the first rookie to try the fifth starting spot, Emerson Hancock seems to be off to a nice start, and only allowed 1 run in 5 innings of work. 

The Mariners are a game and a half back from the last wild card spot, and are well within the race for any one of the spots. They will have to contend with the Astros, who have now figured out how to resurrect Jon Singleton after 9 years, and stave off the AL East also-rans, but they have some momentum right now, and even in a series with the Orioles aren't completely counted out. I'd love for them to make something happen this year, it's always more fun when they do.

Coming Tonight: Current MLB saves leader. I wouldn't have called it either.