Rookie Sam Haggerty impresses in first week, hopes to be part of where Mariners rebuild is going
How would Mariners utility player Sam Haggerty describe his past year as a big leaguer?
“It was definitely a whirlwind,” he said during a video call recently.
Last September, the 26-year-old switch-hitter made his debut, not with the Mariners, but with the Mets. He spent 11 games with New York, mostly as a late-innings pinch runner, made only four plated appearances and played a handful of innings on defense.
The Mets then designated him for assignment in December, and he spent more than two weeks in uncertainty before the Mariners claimed him in January.
The Mariners liked what they saw this spring, and Haggerty looked like he had a shot at to make the Opening Day roster, but was hampered by an elbow injury. Then, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, spring training was shut down, and Haggerty, like so many others, was thrust into uncertainty again.
“You know, it seems like that was forever ago, but here we are playing baseball,” he said.
The three-month shutdown gave his elbow a chance to heal — a sort of silver lining of it all — and he entered summer camp again looking at making the major league roster.
This time, hip soreness slowed Haggerty’s progression, and he was optioned to the club’s alternate training site in Tacoma to begin the season. He spent about three weeks working out and playing in intrasquad games at Cheney Stadium before finally getting a call from the Mariners ahead of the last homestand.
He hasn’t disappointed in his first week with Seattle. He was carrying a five-game hitting streak entering Tuesday’s opener in San Diego, with two doubles, his first career homer, three RBI and two stolen bases. He’s also given the Mariners another super utility option with Dylan Moore on the 10-day injured list with a wrist sprain.
“He can do a lot of things on the field,” manager Scott Servais said recently. “I’m excited with how he’s swinging the bat. That was the report coming out of the Tacoma — these quality at-bats, they were there. There’s some at-bats he’s getting to know some of the pitchers in the league a little bit, they throw him some nasty stuff once in a while, but he’s been very, very competitive.
“A nice guy to have to kind of fill in with Dylan Moore being out. We’ve got Sam right at the top of the order, and just keep getting on base, man, that’s the key in that spot.”
Haggerty has been hitting second in the batting order, Moore’s usual spot, and has looked comfortable there, posting a .300/.333/.550 slash line entering Tuesday.
“You don’t try to get ahead of yourself, but you do want to expect good things of yourself and anticipate where you want to be,” Haggerty said. “So, you try to prepare mentally as much as you can for an opportunity that may present itself. That’s all I’ve been doing. I’m just trying to anticipate and be prepared for my chance.”
Haggerty got on base five times and scored three during Seattle’s weekend sweep of the Rangers, and his two-run homer in the series finale gave the Mariners a boost as they hit the halfway point of the season.
He said playing regularly this first week with the club has helped in establishing rhythm, and he’s enjoying the opportunity.
“It’s great, man,” he said. “This is what you work for in the offseason, this is what you dream about as a kid, and you take these opportunities and try to make the most of it.”
Haggerty has appeared primarily as a left fielder for the Mariners his first week, but has also played center, right, second, third and shortstop in five seasons in the minors after being drafted by Cleveland in the 24th round out of New Mexico in 2015.
“I’m definitely a utility player,” he said. “It was something that when I was drafted by the Indians we started working on when I was in Low-A. … Primarily it was infield utility player at first — third, short, second. The Mets made a conscious effort to get me more time in the outfield, and I was able to add that to my skill set.”
Haggerty spent just the one season in the Mets organization before joining the Mariners, but said he feels comfortable in the outfield despite it being a new addition.
“I definitely feel like I need to make sure I’m thinking through things before they happen, as I don’t have as much time out there as I probably would like, but at the end of the day, it’s go run and catch the ball,” he said.
As one of 15 rookies on Seattle’s active roster, he is looking to contribute wherever the Mariners should choose to play him on any given day.
“There’s a lot of energy,” he said. “There’s a lot of guys who want to get better, who want to turn this thing around, and I’m happy to be here, and I hope to be a part of where this is going. I think it’s going in the right direction, and we’ve got a lot of good pieces to be pushing forward.”
