t’s key for a lineup to have depth. The more positions you can fill with offensive positives, guys who can really keep the rally going, the tougher it is for an opposing pitcher or staff to successfully work their way through it once—let alone multiple times.
But it doesn’t hurt to have a good, old-fashioned meat-grinder right in the middle of it, either.
As Jerry Dipoto has continued to stretch that lineup out, working to eliminate easy outs piece by piece, the heart of it keeps on beating. Depending on how the leadoff position shakes out, you may see a 2–5 that goes Jean Segura, Robinson Canó, Nelson Cruz, Kyle Seager.
Add in other returning players and a couple new faces—including a few in this infield group—and you have a situation a number of clubs would view with envy.
Nelson Cruz
Nelson Cruz is beloved in Seattle, and for good reason. He’s been with the Mariners for only three seasons, but there are countless instances when he’s delivered in the biggest moments—in both the micro and the macro, whether that was a key AB or a vital stretch of games.
But what can be lost at times is just how good he’s been as a hitter in the broader context of the game.
By wRC+—which measures a player’s total offensive value, park- and league-adjusted, and puts it in a context where, like OPS+, 100 is average—he’s up there with the very best in baseball since joining the Mariners.
Of course, the Mariners are getting more than Nelson the player—they also get Nelson the person.
His offseason has included organizing workouts with teammates, continued work with his Boomstick23 Foundation (including the groundbreaking on a new police station) and, with some help from Mariners Chairman John Stantion, distributing baseball equipment to kids in the Dominican Republic.
