Mariners notes: Ty France among top hitters in big league camps this spring
How is this for a spring baseball stat line?
Through six Cactus League games, Mariners newcomer Ty France, who the club acquired from the Padres at last summer’s deadline, is hitting 8-for-13 with two doubles, a team-leading three home runs and five RBI.
He’s also walked once. He hasn’t struck out. His eye-popping .615/.667/1.462 slash line is among the best across spring camps in Arizona and Florida.
Entering Wednesday’s games, France — who earned a deserved day off — was leading all players with more than 10 at-bats this spring with his eye-popping 2.128 OPS. His on-base percentage ranked second, his slugging percentage third and his average fourth.
Are the Mariners surprised to see France start the spring this way?
Not at all.
The 24-year-old has hit his entire career.
“He’s got what you need to be successful in this league, and I’d like to just put him in a jar right now and put the lid on it and take him to April 1, because he’s in a really good spot when he’s in the batter’s box,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said during his Wednesday morning video call with reporters.
Based on France’s production in San Diego’s minor league system — he was the Pacific Coast League MVP while in Triple-A in 2019 — what the Mariners saw from him in two months with the club last fall, and his hot start this spring in Peoria, he’s a lock for Seattle’s Opening Day lineup against the Giants.
He likely opens as the club’s designated hitter, and the Mariners plan to get him as many at-bats as possible in what is expected to be a full 162-game season.
“It feels nice knowing that a team and an organization wants you in the lineup every day,” France said. “It gives you that confidence to go out there and just be yourself and play your game.”
Focusing on playing his game put France in this position to play every day in the first place.
Servais has often noted this spring how effective France’s swing is.
“His ability to keep the barrel of the bat on plane for an extended period of time just allows him to hit so many different pitches at so many different velocities,” Servais said. “Whether it’s the hard slider at 87 (mph), it’s the riding fastball at 95, it’s the slow breaking ball, he’s able to ride balls out.
“And you’ll see him catch a changeup out front and hit it over the fence. He doesn’t roll it over to the third baseman or topspin it into the left field corner for a double. He’s staying through it, and that’s what all good hitters do.”
France said he’s kept the same swing throughout his baseball career, and he’s consistently produced at the plate.
“I’ve been fortunate to be able to hit for most of my life,” he said. “It’s not something where I try and go out and change. At this point in my career, I feel like my swing is my swing, and just kind of fine tuning little things. … I try and keep it in the zone as long as possible, and it puts you in a good spot.”
While others around the league have focused on elevation, France has tried to stay true to what has worked for him.
“A lot of people bought into the new like launch angle, and analytics of that, but for me, I can’t really do that,” he said. “I think swing down and good things happen.
“ … It’s just a thought process for me. I know if I’m thinking swing down, it will flatten my barrel out through the zone for as long as possible.”
That thought process certainly continues to produce results.
In France’s most recent appearance Tuesday against the Royals, he crushed his third home run of the spring to left, doubled to center to score another run an inning later, and drew a walk before his afternoon was done.
France said he’s seeing the ball well this spring, and though he said his timing is still a bit off on the fastball, he’s laying off bad pitches, and swinging at good ones.
“That’s all I can ask for right now,” he said.
That’s the other important piece of France’s approach at the plate Servais has noted — his feel to hit.
“He’s got an idea what the pitcher is going to do against him,” Servais said. “ … He walks up there with a definite plan. So you combine those — you have a really good swing, you’re pretty sharp in the batter’s box, you’ve got good feel to hit — you should have good results.
“And that’s what we’re seeing from him right now.”
KELENIC IS ‘PROGRESSING’
Mariners top prospect Jarred Kelenic remains sidelined by a Grade 2 adductor strain, but Servais said postgame Wednesday the young outfielder is continuing to work toward a return to the field.
“Jarred is progressing,” Servais said. “He’s actually gnawing at the bit to get back out on the field and whatnot but, really happy with how he is progressing. Our training staff (had him) working out in the pool. I know he did maybe some light stuff on his feet today.
“So he’s moving in the right direction, and he wants to move as fast as he can. So all good there. All thumbs up, moving toward getting back out there. I don’t have a date, or anything like that, but he is improving.”
Kelenic appeared to tweak his knee running to first base in his first at-bat of Seattle’s game against the White Sox on Friday afternoon at Camelback Ranch in Glendale. In the replay, he can be seen jogging far down the right field line before walking back to first in some discomfort.
He ultimately stayed in the game, played two more innings in right field and logged another at-bat, but was sent for the MRI after the club’s trainers evaluated him Saturday morning, and an MRI scan revealed the strain.
Kelenic told reporters in Peoria on Saturday afternoon he doesn’t believe the injury is serious, and he was expecting to be back on the field in a week.
Kelenic has appeared in four games for the Mariners this spring, in both left and right field, and was hitting 2-for-8 with a home run, two RBI, a walk and a strikeout before the injury.
He is among the players competing for Seattle’s Opening Day job in left field, along with Jose Marmolejos, who debuted at the spot in the club’s opener last summer, Jake Fraley, Braden Bishop and another of the club’s top outfield prospects, Taylor Trammell, who has impressed early on in Cactus League play.
SHORT HOPS
Right-handed pitcher George Kirby, considered the No. 6 prospect in Seattle’s system by MLB Pipeline, is now in big league camp, pushing the Mariners’ camp roster to a full 75 players. Kirby was Seattle’s top pick in the 2019 draft at No. 20 overall. Kirby joins two other young pitching prospects in Emerson Hancock and Brandon Williamson, who arrived at camp last week. … Per MLB Pipeline’s rankings, the Mariners now have nine of their top 10 prospects in major league camp, including Kelenic, outfielder Julio Rodriguez (No. 2), right-hander Hancock (No. 3), right-hander Logan Gilbert (No. 4), Trammell (No. 5), Kirby, catcher Cal Raleigh (No. 8), outfielder Jake Fraley (No. 9) and left-hander Williamson (No. 10). ... While speaking to reporters Wednesday in Peoria, Mariners chairman John Stanton discussed the club’s leadership structure following the resignation of former CEO and president Kevin Mather, and the club’s plans for Opening Day. ... Two former Mariners who are now have coaching roles in the organization — Mike Cameron and Ichiro Suzuki — found their way back into the outfield Sunday afternoon in a simulated game at the club’s complex in Peoria and even made plate appearances. “Those are all-time Mariner greats, the guys that are in camp,” Servais said later. “They’re really adding to our camp working with our young players, and they want to have a little fun, too.”
