Seattle Mariners' Infielder Has Improved More Than Almost Anyone in Baseball This Year
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The Seattle Mariners offense has been significantly improved this season compared to last year.
The Mariners offense is fourth in the league in wRC+ (weighted runs created-plus) at 116 entering Thursday. They're also 12th in baseball in runs (109) and RBIs (112), are tied for fifth in home runs (34) and 11th in OPS (.719).
Several players have bounced back, which has helped lead to Seattle's better numbers. One of those players is Jorge Polanco.
Polanco had a down season in 2024 due to various hamstring and knee issues. He underwent surgery in the offseason to repair a damaged patellar tendon in his left knee. He hit just .213 in 2024 with 16 home runs and 45 RBIs in 118 games.
This year, Polanco is hitting .339 (19-for-56) with two doubles, four home runs and 13 RBIs with a .945 OPS in 16 games. According to pregame notes shared by Mariners PR on Wednesday, his jump in batting average (roughly .125) is the second-highest in the major leagues behind New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (.126).
Jorge Polanco's 4th homer of the year gives the @Mariners an early lead 💪 pic.twitter.com/J4A0zDY625
— MLB (@MLB) April 22, 2025
Polanco has also raised his hard-hit rate from 37.4% to 50%, his slugging percentage from .356 to .589 and lowered his strikeout rate from 29.3% to 13.3%.
While Polanco has been excellent this year, he's still been limited lately. He's been unable to hit from the right side of the plate due to a minor oblique strain. He's also received scheduled days off and has been in the lineup as a designated hitter to preserve his health.
If these are the numbers that Polanco has put up when he's not at his full strength, then it will be interesting to see what he'll do when he's 100%.
The Mariners will play the Red Sox on Thursday morning at 10:35 a.m. PT.
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