Former Tacoma Rainiers and Seattle Mariners first baseman Bryan LaHair has not appeared in a major league game since leaving the Seattle organization at the conclusion of the 2009 season, but that might soon change.
Now in his second season with the Iowa Cubs, the 28-year-old LaHair is having an MVP-caliber season in the Pacific Coast League.
LaHair leads the PCL with 30 home runs while batting a robust .331 with 86 runs batted in.
LaHair has also drawn 54 walks and has a .409 on-base percentage.
With 31 doubles, LaHair is the first Iowa Cubs player to hit 30 or more doubles and home runs in the same season since former major leaguer Mel Hall did it in 1982.
LaHair is Tacoma’s all-time doubles leader, hitting 110 two-baggers in a Tacoma uniform from 2006 through 2009.
“I’m just trying to square the ball up in every at-bat, and not worry about what happens,” LaHair said.
Other PCL Most Valuable Player candidates include Anthony Rizzo of Tucson, Collin Cowgill and Cody Ransom of Reno, Johnny Giavotella of Omaha, David Cooper of Las Vegas and Taylor Green with Nashville.
Tacoma’s Wily Mo Pena had MVP-level statistics before being called up to Seattle on Saturday.
It will be interesting to see whether splitting his season between Reno and Tacoma will have an effect on voters.
JOSE LOPEZ UPDATE
Another ex-Mariners and Rainiers player who is destroying PCL pitching is New Orleans infielder Jose Lopez.
Released by the Colorado Rockies and signed to a minor league contract by the Florida Marlins, Lopez was assigned to New Orleans on June 9.
In 31 games for the Zephyrs, Lopez is batting .405 with nine homers and 29 RBI in 31 games. In 121 at-bats, the 27-year-old has six walks and 11 strikeouts.
DOUBLE-A UPDATE
Rising Mariners prospect Vincent Catricala continues to hit for Double-A Jackson.
Catricala, 22, has been seeing more time in left field since the Mariners’ trade-deadline acquisition of third baseman Francisco Martinez, but that has not affected his performance in the batter’s box.
Catricala, who opened the season at Single-A High Desert before being promoted to Jackson on June 30, is batting .363 with five home runs and 31 RBI in 39 games for the Generals. He has 21 doubles and a .618 slugging percentage.
Martinez was a prospect in the trade with Detroit for Doug Fister and David Pauley. He hit his first home run as a Mariners farmhand Friday and is batting .238 with 10 RBI after 11 games with Jackson.
Mike Curto is the radio broadcaster for the Tacoma Rainiers.
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