Seattle Mariners Manager Dan Wilson Discusses Team Fluidity at Second Base
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SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners are in the middle of their best stretch of baseball in over two decades. The Mariners had won nine consecutive series for the first time since their iconic 116-win 2001 club entering Friday's six-game homestead. And second base has been fluid for Seattle over that stretch.
When the season began, Ryan Bliss was the starting second baseman after winning the job in spring training. Gold Glove-winning utility player Dylan Moore occasionally started against left-handed pitching. Bliss is out for the season after undergoing surgery for a left biceps tear. Since Bliss' injury, Moore, Leo Rivas, Miles Mastrobuoni and Jorge Polanco have all started at second for the Mariners.
The second-base-by-committee approach is partly due to analytics and matchups against right and left-handed pitching. Making sure players have proper rest is also a factor. Moore has already spent time on the injured list this season and Polanco, a switch-hitter, has received scheduled off-days due to offseason knee surgery and just started hitting right-handed again.
"It's a little bit of all of it," Seattle manager Dan Wilson said before a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday. "I think we're trying to maximize what we can do and versatility is big, but you have to keep people fresh at the same time. Just looking at a lot of different options and that seems to be a spot where we have a couple guys that can play there. We have a couple guys that can play there and in the outfield. So, trying to stay versatile, keep guys fresh and keep getting bats rolling for everybody."
The approach has been working well for the Mariners. Outside of the team's winning streak, Polanco is hitting .340 with a 1.067 OPS, Mastrobuoni is batting .231 and is getting on base at a .311 clip, Rivas is hitting .341 and has an .837 OPS and Moore has an .854 OPS to go with a .280 batting average.
Leo Rivas with an UNBELIEVABLE basket catch! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/E6bpVf1OWS
— MLB (@MLB) April 24, 2025
The versatility provided by those players has helped Seattle in late-game situations. It's been easier for Wilson to make in-game substitutions given Moore and Mastrobuoni's to play all over the infield and outfield and Rivas' ability to move to shortstop. Polanco has also played at first, second and third base this season.
"I think we've all seen how that plays out," Wilson said. "Guys get a chance to move from one position to the other. That's where the versatility really helps out tremendously. These guys have done it and they've done it so well."
Losing a starting-caliber player like Bliss could be a big blow to a roster, but if the Mariners' slew of infielders continue to produce, the committee at second base could end up being one of the most crucial aspects of a potentially successful season.
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