by Dan Olson | KSTW.com
The team that this city loves, the Seattle Mariners, is in the midst of spring training right now in Peoria, Arizona preparing for what looks to be a competitive run at the 2008 season.
The roster this year looks to be one full of promise. The M's have young, but very gifted prospects that could definitely make the cut after training has ended. Topping the list of young talent is Jeff Clement, a 24-year old left-handed hitting catcher who was drafted by the M's in 2005. When he was first drafted, Clement was so bad defensively behind the plate the Mariners sent him to Instructional League to learn third base.
Working with minor league catching instructor Roger Hansen almost exclusively for the past two seasons, Clement has put himself back on track to catch at the ML level. While he will never match the quickness and footwork of incumbent Kenji Johjima, he will more than make up for the gap with his bat. Solid catching skills and arm, Clement's only remaining weakness is the catch and throw; he has yet to reach 30% for a season in throwing out runners. Offensively he is years ahead of his age, mature, patient and with plus power and hitting ability to all fields.
Phillipe Aumont, only 19 years of age, and picked up in the first round in 2007, has the best sinker in the entire system. His fastball looks good as it has reached 98 miles per hour on the gun. Because of signing late Aumont will likely see his first action for the Tacoma Rainiers.
Rounding out the young and gifted M's roster is local kid Matt Tuiasosopo, brother of Marques, the former Huskies' Heisman trophy candidate quarterback. Tuiasosopo, who plays third base, was drafted right out of high school and spent some time playing initially for the Everett Aquasox. He will also start out the year in Tacoma, but has great promise for a future infield job in Seattle.
Pitching looks to be on the rise, but you guessed it, is also very young. The young ace Felix Hernandez has had a phenomenal start to such a young career and has shown no signs of letting up. Last year he made quite a statement early on by outdueling Boston Red Sox starter Diasake Matsuzaka at Fenway Park.
The Mariners are faring well right now down in the Cactus League. They are a little above .500 right now, posting a 4-3 record in Peoria after beating the Los Angeles Angels yesterday, 6-5.
The holes in the Mariners are the starting pitching and offense. They have a good bullpen and play good defense but their offense is very weak. It comes down to watching too many strike outs, says Russ Evenhuis of Blog Critics Magazine. I would have to agree, and also I would have to say that it is going to take a lot to be a contender in the American League West.
The Los Angeles Angels, the returning AL West champions, are notorious for staying neck and neck with us, and in the past couple of years we have had to bow down to them in the standings. They are a very solid club with big bats that come from returning All-star Vladimir Guerrero, Gary Matthews, and newly-acquired All-star outfielder Torii Hunter, who came from the Minnesota Twins. Hunter also provides a huge spark to the already strong Angels' defense.
As much as I would love to let my hometown bias kick in and say that the Mariners are going to have another 116 win season like they did in 2001, or that the young prospects that will inevitably work their way into the 2008 lineup are going to take them into the playoffs, I just can't. I have to be realistic about this and say that things don't look to be miles better than last year and with holes in the pitching still and an offense that is still weak and needs improvement it is going to be tough for the Mariners to improve on their 2007 record. But I do think they will stay competitive and give other MLB teams a run for their money. The Mariners opening game is set for Monday March 31st at Safeco Field where the M's will take on the Texas Rangers.
Sources:
1.) Armchairgm.com
2.) Blogcritics.org
Dan Olson writes for KSTW-TV in Seattle. All opinions expressed in this column are his.
