Seattle Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger has been a surprising star in the M’s lineup this year. The 27-year old is having arguably his best season ever since making his big league debut back in 2016 for the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Mariners acquired both Haniger and Jean Segura from Arizona in 2016 in exchange for shortstop Ketel Marte and starting pitcher Taijuan Walker.
An All-Star Campaign for Haniger
Last year Haniger showed glimpses of brilliance, hitting .282 with 16 homers and 47 RBI in 96 games played. He wasn’t a regular starter, but when he was called upon in 2017, he came through. Fast forward to this year. Haniger is the starting right fielder for the Mariners and a spark plug in heart of Seattle’s lineup. When Robinson Cano got suspended for breaking Major League baseball’s PED policy, Haniger stepped into the number three spot in the lineup.
Through 73 games this year, Haniger is hitting .264 with 16 bombs already before the All-Star break. He only hit 16 in all of last season. He’s also collected 54 RBI, which lands him second in the American league behind J.D. Martinez. Seattle is currently one of the best all-around teams in the big leagues, and a vital reason for that is the production from Haniger. He has been outstanding defensively too, making numerous great plays on a consistent basis.
What changed?
Haniger has always featured a leg kick in his stance at the plate. This year though and even last year, there has been less movement in his hands. In his debut season with Arizona in 2016, he still had the leg kick. But despite that, there was a little more movement when he loaded with his hands. With that, he ended up pulling a lot of balls and not using the entire field. Haniger has relaxed his approach at the plate and is now using the entire field. He’s collecting extra-base hits to the opposite field and even hitting the rare homer to right field. He’s letting the ball get deep in the zone and driving the ball where it’s pitched.
It’s games like this that have made Haniger an absolute star in Seattle this year:
There’s no one that could have predicted that Haniger would step into the three spot in the lineup, and produce at this rate in place of Cano. It’s been a pleasant surprise and it’s even earned Haniger his first trip to the All-Star game.
Seattle won the trade with Arizona
The trade with the D-backs in November of 2016 which sent Walker and Marte to the desert and brought Segura and Haniger to Seattle has been an absolute steal for the Mariners. Segura is currently one of the best all-around shortstops in the majors, hitting an impressive .334 with six homers and 44 RBI while swiping 14 bags. Segura has also made just nine errors this year and boasts a .966 fielding percentage. He also leads the major leagues in multi-hit games. Segura has been an impact player both offensively and defensively and is a hit machine, ranking second in the AL with 99 hits.
Haniger’s success has broken out this year, and he’s been an impact player on a daily basis for the Mariners. Between the two, the M’s have definitely won the trade and turned both players into everyday guys in the heart of the Seattle lineup.
The Mariners are going to have a hard time winning the AL West since the reigning World Series champions Houston Astros are currently in first place, and just reached 50 wins. They look to be even stronger this year with an electric 1-2 punch of Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole. The M’s are fundamentally sound in all aspects though and should give the Astros a run for their money for a division title. James Paxton has emerged as a true ace, and players like Haniger, Segura, and Nelson Cruz are producing at a high rate offensively. Worst case scenario, the Mariners compete for a wild-card spot.
It will be interesting to see if Haniger will continue this offensive tear that he’s been on so far this season.
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