Why Leonys Martin is a Perfect Fit

Leonys Martin was acquired by the Seattle Mariners in November, and brought over with the intention that he would play everyday in center field in 2016.  He is a premier defender and can at least handle the bat.  He’s no Ken Griffey or Mike Trout, but he’s a singles hitter who has some speed and can assure some quality at bats towards the bottom of the lineup.

The trade that went down on November 16th saw long-time Seattle reliever Tom Wilhelmsen, speedster James Jones, and a PTBNL (player to be named later), for Martin and reliever Anthony Bass.  The PTBNL ended up being, what I thought to be a decent prospect in Patrick Kivlehan.  Bass has since been granted his release to pursue other opportunities in Japan.

Known as an excellent defender, Martin should be close to a gold glove center fielder.

The lower third of the Mariners lineup had been nothing short of anemic under the former regime, as hitters often carried averages close to, or under the Mendoza Line (.200).  Players often became black holes of production, with the names of Mike Zunino, Brendan Ryan, Miguel Olivo, and Jesus Sucre, just to name a few.  While there is still hope for Zunino, the rest were never going to be anything close to league average hitters.

Insert new blood in the form of Martin.  While his glove and his legs are his best asset while he patrols the outfield, he should get his fair share of opportunities at the plate.  Before a less-than-stellar 2015 saw his numbers dip, Martin was just a tick below league average.  Coupled with his stellar defense, he’s a player you can get behind.

During his tenure in Texas, Martin was a leadoff hitter at times, which if you ask me, is not his wheelhouse.  He’s less of a table setter and more of a guy who can keep the line going.  Between the 2013 and 2014 seasons, he batted .268 while averaging 8 homers and 34 steals.  When was the last time a 9-hole hitter batted .268 for Seattle?  Don’t worry, I’ll wait.

Martin averaged .268 with 34 steals during the ’13-’14 seasons.

Outside of Michael Saunders, who never quite panned out fully, there is no one that comes close to this in recent memory.  2016 should be a new experience for the Mariners faithful as the team is taking a new approach under General Manager Jerry Dipoto and field Manager, Scott Servais.

Baseball is a game of predictions, and I would peg my preseason prediction for Martin, barring injury, at .262 with five homers and a minimum of 20 stolen bases.