Five hitters I like for the Mariners
Five suggestions to take Seattle's offense to the next level.
Not long ago, I made the case for a reunion between the Mariners and Eugenio Suárez. Before that, we discussed potential first base trade targets. Now, let’s consider several more hitters who might make sense for Seattle.
The five names I identified carry varying degrees of value in terms of talent, potential, and club control. Please note that I didn’t consider economic factors, nor did I take into account their potential trade cost.
The first player we’ll discuss was mentioned in an excellent piece by David Schoenfield of ESPN. Schoenfield went as far to suggest that the Mariners were best positioned to acquire this elite talent.
Ronald Acuña Jr., RF - Braves
Selling points: Since debuting as a 20-year-old in 2018, Acuña has a 143 wRC+. Only five hitters with at least 3,000 plate appearances have been better: Aaron Judge (184), Juan Soto (158), Shohei Ohtani (154), Freddie Freeman (146), and Mookie Betts (145). It’s possible all of these players are eventually enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+) quantifies how a hitter’s total offensive value compares with the league average after adjusting for park effects. League-average is always 100. Therefore, a wRC+ of 150 means a hitter was 50-percent more productive than the average player. An 80 wRC+ would be 20-percent below average.
For fans of old-school numbers, Acuña’s .435 OBP since he made his season debut on May 23 is tied for best in the majors with Judge. Meanwhile, his .590 SLG ties him for tenth best with Junior Caminero.
As Frank Costanza once said about Jay Buhner, Acuña has got “a rocket for an arm.” Just four players have a higher average velocity on their throws than Atlanta’s right fielder does this year.
Potential concerns: The “why” behind Acuña’s late debut was a torn ACL suffered early last season. It’s worth noting the Venezuelan endured the same injury in his other knee three years earlier. Consequently, he averaged just 102 games annually between 2021 and 2024.
Acuña’s minus-21 OAA since the beginning of the 2022 season suggests his range may be impaired by his knees. Before his first injury, he had amassed four OAA in his career.
Outs Above Average (OAA) is a range-based metric that quantifies how many outs a defender has saved compared to the average player. League-average is always ZERO. Source: Baseball Savant
During his MVP campaign, Acuña led MLB with a career-high 73 stolen bases. Before going down last year, the five-time All-Star had swiped 16 bags. This year, he has four steals in four attempts. Perhaps Acuña is intentionally being less aggressive on the base paths. Still, he sounded like a player wanting to remain a disruptive base runner before this season began.
While on the IL in April, Acuña caused a kerfuffle with a social media post critical of Braves manager Brian Snitker after the skipper didn’t discipline former Mariner Jarred Kelenic for not hustling. Snitker had previously pulled a young Acuña from games for similar transgressions. The three-time Silver Slugger subsequently apologized to his manager, Kelenic, and his teammates.
Thoughts: Perhaps the social media incident sours some Mariners fans on Acuña, but I don’t care. Sure, the Venezuelan should’ve exercised better restraint and judgement. However, this is noise to me.
When healthy, Acuña is one of the best hitters in baseball who happens to be in his prime. If the Braves were to make him available on the trade market, which seems unlikely, every MLB team should pursue him.
Alec Bohm, 3B - Phillies
Selling points: Bohm has been a consistent run producer. This becomes evident once we compare his 2025 numbers to what he did in his previous five campaigns.
Bohm’s Consistent Production
2020-24 .277 AVG, .327 OBP, .416 SLG
2025 .281 AVG, .327 OBP, .395 SLG
The right-handed hitting Bohm’s 16.4-percent strikeout rate is top-40 among 155 qualified hitters. The only Mariner with at least 200 plate appearances boasting a better rate than the third overall pick of 2018 is Jorge Polanco (14-percent).
Bohm’s power hasn’t been as potent against right-handed pitching this season. But otherwise, his platoon splits appear relatively neutral.
Bohm’s Platoon Splits
v RHP 279 PA, .283 AVG, .326 OBP, .384 SLG
v LHP 100 PA, .275 AVG, .330 OBP, .429 SLG
Since the beginning of the 2023 campaign, Bohm’s six OAA ranks 12th best among 37 qualified third basemen.
Although Bohm has primarily manned the hot corner as a big-leaguer, the 2024 All-Star has 96 career starts at first base. This versatility could intrigue clubs looking for ways to improve at both corner infield spots.
Potential concerns: Bohm’s 101 wRC+ suggests he’s been a league-average contributor with his bat, which aligns with what he’s done throughout his career. How his offensive skillset might translate to extremely pitcher-friendly T-Mobile Park is unknown.
This isn’t critical. But Bohm’s average-ish 26.6 feet-per-second sprint speed ranks 27th among 39 third basemen with 50-plus competitive runs. Meanwhile, Seattle’s Ben Williamson is 13th-best with 28 feet-per-second.
Since I highlighted Acuña’s hiccup, I’ll mention Bohm was caught on video in 2022 griping about Philadelphia to teammate Didi Gregorius after fans got on him for making three errors in three innings. Bohm owned the comment afterwards saying it was made in a moment of frustration. As with Acuña, this doesn’t move the meter for me in any way.
Thoughts: During this week’s edition of the On the Sidelines podcast, I floated a potential three-team trade scenario to Ethan McReynolds and Dante Jackson of FOX 13 Seattle. It involved the Phillies acquiring Alex Bregman from the Red Sox and then shipping Bohm to the Mariners. Perhaps this idea is a pipe dream.
Bohm may not be a sexy enough choice for some fans. However, his presence would lengthen Seattle’s lineup in a meaningful way. At this point of the season, this is an important consideration.
Willi Castro, UTL - Twins
Selling points: Castro’s current stat line is better than any of his seasons with at least 250 plate appearances. The only Mariners with a higher OBP than the switch-hitter are J.P. Crawford (.391), Cal Raleigh (.376), and Randy Arozarena (.357).
Just three Seattle players with at least 50 competitive runs have a better sprint speed than Castro’s 28.1 feet-per-second. They are Julio Rodríguez (29.2), Luke Raley (28.7), and Miles Mastrobuoni (28.4).
This season, Castro has made 10-plus starts at second base, third base, left field, and right field. The native of Puerto Rico has also started twice at shortstop and even pitched an inning for Twins manager Rocco Baldelli.
Castro’s Games by Position in 2025
2B (37)
SS (5)
3B (12)
LF (31)
RF (28)
P (1)
Potential concerns: Last season, the versatile Castro was a Gold Glove finalist for the utility role along with Houston’s Mauricio Dubón and the eventual winner, Seattle’s Dylan Moore. But his defensive metrics have tanked since. Castro’s minus-6 OAA this year ranks 242nd of 265 qualified defenders.
In January, Mike Petriello of MLB, characterized T-Mobile Park as a “strikeout factory.” Therefore, it’s reasonable to believe Castro’s worse-than-average 24.5-percent strikeout rate would climb even higher at Seattle’s home field.
Thoughts: Castro’s résumé has blemishes. However, he could help at multiple positions or at one specific spot, if a need presented itself. Equally important, the seven-year veteran has demonstrated the ability to reach base, which is vital for any lineup.
Yandy Díaz, DH - Rays
Selling points: As always, Díaz is mashing baseballs. This year, the right-handed hitter’s 53.5-percent hard-hit rate is top-15 in baseball. The closest Mariner in this category is his former Rays teammate, Arozarena (52.1-percent).
Only 19 of 155 qualified hitters have a lower strikeout rate than what Díaz has. As already noted, Polanco (14-percent) strikes out less often. But he currently doesn’t have the prerequisite number of plate appearances to be considered.
Dating back to the beginning of 2023, Díaz has a superb .799 OPS against right-handed pitching. That said, few right-handed hitters have punished lefties as much as the former batting champion has during this period. Among 110 righty bats with at least 300 plate appearances versus southpaws, Díaz’s .926 OPS is fifth best.
Despite being a thirty-something, Díaz continues to remain available. He’s averaged 140 contests over his three previous campaigns. This year, the Cuban has appeared in 94-percent of Tampa Bay’s games.
Potential concerns: This is an expectation-setter more than an issue. Díaz has extensive experience at first base and third base. But he’s primarily served as a designated hitter in 2025 with just 11 starts at first base.
Even though Díaz has stayed on the field, Father Time must be respected. With a vesting option for 2027 contingent on reaching 500 plate appearances next year, it’s plausible he’ll remain under club control through his age-35 season. There is an inherent risk with this.
Thoughts: Díaz’s bat would undoubtedly bolster Seattle’s offense. Considering the Rays are competing for a wild card berth, it doesn’t seem realistic for the team to trade its DH to a rival. Then again, Tampa Bay has a history of moving veterans as they become more expensive and the Mariners are a frequent trade partner. Perhaps there’s a deal to be made that benefits both contenders.
Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B - Royals
Selling points: After producing a .569 OPS through his first 30 games, Pasquantino has rebounded quite nicely. In his next 66 contests, the 11th round pick has 11 doubles and 11 home runs with an .852 OPS.
Despite the slow start, Pasquantino’s production numbers closely resemble what the left-handed hitter delivered for the Royals in 2024.
Pasquantino’s Consistent Production
2024 - .262 AVG, .315 OBP, .446 SLG, 109 wRC+
2025 - .272 AVG, .329 OBP, .437 SLG, 109 wRC+
Pasquantino’s 16.8-percent strikeout rate is five points better than the league average and ranks 43rd among qualified hitters. Just one spot ahead of Mariners lead-off hitter J.P. Crawford.
Last year, Petriello explained why Kansas City’s Kauffman Field was one of the most underrated hitter’s park in baseball. Knowing this, I was expecting Pasquantino’s offensive production would be much better at home. But the opposite has been the case in 2025.
The former Old Dominion Monarch’s .290 AVG, .347 OBP, and .497 SLG on the road is noticeably better than the .255 AVG, .312 OBP, and .378 SLG he’s delivered at his home field.
Potential concerns: Pasquantino’s career .696 OPS against left-handed pitching is noticeably worse than his .801 OPS versus right-handers.
Even though Pasquantino’s strikeout rate is much better than the average big-league hitter, it’s worth noting he’s striking out more frequently in 2025 than in seasons past.
Pasquantino’s Annual Strikeout Rates
2022 (11.4%)
2023 (11.9%)
2024 (12.8%)
2025 (16.8%)
Current MLB strikeout rate = 21.9%
Something else worth mentioning. Pasquantino is walking less frequently with each passing season. As a rookie in 2022, he had a 11.7-percent walk rate, which is exactly five-percent higher than this year.
Thoughts: With three years of arbitration eligibility remaining, Pasquantino wouldn’t be a short-term solution for a buyer. Assuming he were even available, it’s unclear whether the Mariners would want to make this kind of commitment at first base.
Still, Pasquantino is a great Twitter follow and that counts for something.
Finally
If forced to identify just one name from our list to become a Mariner, my choice would be the same player most of you would select - Acuña. I would then prefer Bohm, Castro, Pasquantino, and Díaz in that order. Factors playing a role in my ranking include talent, Seattle’s current roster configuration, controllability, and age.
Perhaps over the next two weeks, we can focus on trade targets capable of helping Seattle’s pitching staff. An argument can be made that it’s been the weakest link of the roster in 2025.
Who saw that coming?
My Oh My…
Ronald Acuña Jr.? Sign me up!
PS: I always appreciate the Smorgasbord of hotlinks!!