Mariners add former Skyview High School, WSU standout to pitching ranks
The Mariners added another local relief pitcher to their ranks Friday afternoon ahead of their series opener in Oakland, claiming right-hander Ian Hamilton off waivers from the White Sox.
The 25-year-old reliever, who played both high school and college baseball in Washington, was designated for assignment by Chicago last week after parts of two seasons with the big league club.
Hamilton posted a combined 1-2 record and 4.50 ERA in 14 games with the White Sox this season and in 2018, while missing much of last season due to injuries, including needing surgery to repair multiple facial fractures after he was hit by a line drive while with Triple-A Charlotte, and dealing with shoulder issues following a car accident.
He debuted for Chicago in 2018 after following seasons in the minors, including posting a stellar 1.74 ERA and 22 saves in 43 games between Double-A and Triple-A that year before his August promotion.
Though, he has struggled to repeat that production so far in short stints the majors. This season, he appeared in four games, allowing a pair of runs across four innings with five walks and four strikeouts before the Mariners claimed him off waivers.
He is on Seattle’s 40-man roster, but has been assigned to Triple-A Tacoma, meaning he is not expected to join the Mariners in Oakland this weekend for their final series.
Hamilton had spent his entire five-season professional career with the White Sox until joining Seattle’s ranks. He was drafted by Chicago in the 11th round in 2016 following his decorated college career at Washington State, where he was a three-time All-Pac-12 pick and set a Cougars record with 28 career saves.
Hamilton is also known around the state for his prolific career at Vancouver’s Skyview High School, where he paced the program to its first Class 4A state title in 2013.He was also voted the 4A player of the year by the Washington State Baseball Coaches Association that year as a senior after posting an 8-1 record with a 1.17 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 60 innings while also hitting .417 in the month of May and finishing 3-for-4 in Skyview’s title win over South Kitsap.
With the addition of Hamilton, Seattle’s 40-man roster is at 38 players.
Hamilton is the latest former Washington prep pitcher to join the Mariners’ organization. Taylor Williams, also from the Vancouver area, started the season with Seattle, and was one of the club’s most productive relievers before he was traded to the Padres in August.
The 29-year-old right-hander, often handled closing duties for the Mariners, collecting a team-high six saves.
The Camas High School product posted a 5.93 ERA in 14 appearances with Seattle, but held opponents scoreless in 11 of his 14 outings and struck out 19 while walking seven.
During his brief stint with the Mariners after being acquired from the Brewers during spring training back in February, Williams also became the franchise’s all-time saves leader among Washington-born pitchers. With his sixth save against the Rangers earlier this month, he passed Karl Best (five from 1985-86), who was born in Aberdeen and attended Kent Meridian High School, as the career leader.
He was also closing in on the organization’s saves record among former Washington prep pitchers, and was tied with Interlake’s Larry Anderson (six from 1981-82), and trailing only Kennewick’s Russ Swan (11 from 1991-92) before he was traded.
PLAYOFF HOPES DASHED
The Mariners’ playoff hopes were dashed Thursday after they made an impressive run, entering the final week of the season still in contention with one of the youngest teams in baseball.
“I really think the fact that we were able to play games this late that were meaningful, I think that gives us a lot of confidence going forward, and shows that we can win ballgames when we need to,” rookie first baseman Evan White said pregame Friday. “I think that’s something to really build off of for the future.”
Seattle didn’t play Thursday, using a scheduled off day to travel to the Bay Area for their final four-game series against Oakland, which opened Friday, but was still knocked out of both the American League wild-card race and the running for the second berth out of the AL West.
The club entered the day with bleak, but still attainable chances at both. The Mariners not only needed to win out in their final four-game set, which begins Friday, but also needed four consecutive losses from either the Blue Jays or the Astros to sneak in.
They didn’t get a loss from either club. Toronto locked up the second wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Yankees. Less than two hours later, Houston pummeled the Rangers, 12-4, to eliminate the Mariners from the divisional race.
“We no longer have a chance to get into the postseason, but still a lot to get accomplished here this last weekend,” Servais said pregame Friday. “We’ll give some guys opportunities, maybe in different spots they haven’t been in. ... We’ll continue to take advantage of the last four games and see what we get out of those.”
This is the 19th consecutive season the Mariners have missed the playoffs. The club last made the playoffs in 2001 after winning 116 regular season games. The Mariners also remain the only Major League Baseball club to never reach the World Series, losing in all three of their trips to the ALCS in 1995, 2000 and 2001.
LEWIS, SHEFFIELD HONORED
Two Mariners, center fielder Kyle Lewis and starting pitcher Justus Sheffield, were named to MLB Pipeline’s 2020 All-Rookie Team this week.
Lewis, who remains a leading contender for the AL Rookie of the Year Award, was named the website’s first-team center fielder. The 25-year-old is hitting .273/.373/.455 through 56 games this season with three doubles, 11 home runs, 28 RBI, four stolen bases and 33 walks to 64 strikeouts.
Sheffield, who has been brilliant in his first full season in Seattle’s rotation, was named to the second team. The 24-year-old has a 4-3 record and 3.75 ERA through nine starts this season in 50 1/3 innings, and has struck out 47 while walking 18.
He has tossed three consecutive quality outings entering his final start of the season Saturday against the A’s, and has allowed two or fewer runs in all but three outings.
This story was originally published September 24, 2020 at 8:23 PM.
