Rainiers notes: Haggerty thriving as leadoff hitter, but Tacoma drops series in Salt Lake
Sam Haggerty said he’s been a team’s leadoff hitter before.
But he can’t think of a time he’s ever led a club in RBI at the same time.
“That is probably a first for me,” Haggerty said with a laugh. “But that speaks to the guys at the bottom of the order getting on base.”
The 27-year-old Haggerty, now tied with Zach Green for a Triple-A Tacoma-best 22 hits, co-leads the club with 10 runs scored and sits atop the Rainiers’ roster with 17 RBI.
He appeared in 48 games for the Mariners between 2020-21 and now handles second base for the Triple-A club.
That, combined with his switch-hitting ability and speed on the base paths, was enough for manager Tim Federowicz to name Haggerty the everyday leadoff hitter.
The decision, Federowicz said, was an easy one.
“He’s just been a great hitter overall, just getting big hit after big hit,” Federowicz said. “He’s been our most consistent guy. It’s great to have a guy like that … a great base runner, a good defender. He’s been great to have.”
Tacoma (7-17) dropped four of six in Las Vegas throughout a week-long meeting with the Aviators. Haggerty contributed to both wins, driving in three runs during a 2-for-2 performance in Tuesday’s 12-5 win. Tacoma’s other win — a 7-1 victory Thursday — featured a 3-for-5 night from Haggerty, who blasted a three-run homer in the second inning.
Haggerty homered again Friday in the seventh — his fourth of the season — albeit in a 7-6 loss.
“Baseball is a strange game,” he said. “You get some pitches to hit, you’re able to find some green grass. This game goes in waves.
“More than anything, I’ve just been fortunate to get some pitches to hit and not miss them the past week. You know, there’s a lot of outside factors, but you’re only able to control what you can control.”
Baseball’s most recent offseason was already an abnormal one, as a 99-day lockout threatened the 2022 season and resulted in a week-long delay for the big leagues.
And Haggerty, who was outrighted to the Tacoma roster last October, underwent shoulder surgery on Aug. 11. He hadn’t appeared in a game since May 24 with inflammation in his throwing shoulder, and detailed a rehab process that focused on arm strengthening on mobility.
Another word used by Haggerty to describe the program was “comfort,” an important prerequisite for the organization to allow him back onto the field without risk for re-injury. Considered a utility player for the 2021 Mariners, Federowicz and the Rainiers decided to keep Haggerty in the middle infield to allow for shorter throws now only a month into his return.
“We had to slow down for a little bit in the first couple of weeks,” Federowicz said, “and make sure he had enough days off. But now, he’s definitely responding well… (the) shoulder’s warming up a lot easier.
“It’s just great to see him out there. I know it’s definitely validating for him to just get out there and prove to himself that he can still do it.”
In 18 games for the Rainiers this season, Haggerty is hitting 22-for-70 with a .314/.351/.514 slash line, and has posted four home runs and 17 RBI. He’s 7-for-7 on stolen base attempts, and leads the club with an .865 OPS of all qualified hitters.
With Haggerty’s help, Tacoma bashed its way to Tuesday’s win. Seven Rainiers hitters drove in a run throughout the effort.
The Rainiers lost Wednesday, 6-5, but rebounded Thursday using Darren McCaughan’s quality start to secure a victory. That was Tacoma’s last win before a trio of losses over the weekend — 7-6, 10-2, and 6-5, respectively.
And McCaughan, who tossed six innings of one-run ball Thursday, bounced back from a trio of outings in which the 26-year-old allowed at least five earned runs. He went on to strike out six, allowing no walks and four hits.
“He was struggling with his command … (and) he just simplified it a little bit more, and was able to execute his pitches a bit better,” Federowicz said. “It’s just really impressive what he was able to do the other night, and we’re very proud of him.”
ROSTER MOVES
▪ Seattle selected the contract of reliever Penn Murfee on April 28. The 28-year-old made his major league debut on April 29, tossing a pair of no-hit innings in relief for the Mariners at LoanDepot Park in Miami.
▪ Seattle native Stuart Fairchild joined his local franchise after the Mariners traded to acquire him for cash considerations from the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 23. Logging only 16 at-bats, the 26-year-old outfielder posted a .438/.571/.625 slash line for the Rainiers and earned the call-up to the majors a week later on April 30.
“All of them are super excited when they hear the news,” Federowicz said of the big league call-ups. “It’s just really cool that I get to deliver it now. And just to kind of give them a quick piece of advice before they go up there is priceless. It’s really cool.”
▪ Matt Koch, who tossed an immaculate inning in relief during Tacoma’s season opener, was designated for assignment by the club on April 29.
▪ Seattle traded infielder Kevin Padlo to the San Francisco Giants for cash considerations on April 26. Mike Ford, designated for assignment a day earlier, was also claimed by Padlo’s new club.
“They were two big pieces of our clubhouse,” Federowicz said. “They were great guys. Definitely kept the light atmosphere around here. But it’s just great for them. They’re in a better spot. They’re (at) another great opportunity.”
▪ LHP Justus Sheffield and infielder Donovan Walton joined the Rainiers on Monday after Seattle’s roster slimmed from 28 to 26 players.
SHORT HOPS
▪ Steven Souza Jr. leads the club with 13 walks, good for sixth in the Pacific Coast League and five behind Sugar Land’s David Hensley and Oklahoma City’s Ryan Noda (18).
▪ Tacoma’s 43 stolen bases are 15 more than any club in the PCL and nine more than any challenger in Triple-A (Buffalo, 34).
▪ Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh was optioned to Tacoma on April 28. The 25-year-old appeared in each of the final three games of the club’s six-game set in Las Vegas, posting 2-for-11 at the plate and catching two contests.
▪ Outfielder Billy Hamilton logged six hits across five games in Las Vegas, scoring five runs and snagging two bases.
ON TAP
Tacoma gets Monday off before a six-game set in Salt Lake with the Bees. That series starts Tuesday. It’s the club’s first road trip to Salt Lake this season, though Tacoma hosted the Bees for their home-opening series last month.
Salt Lake took four of six the first time around. Tacoma won the season opener, 4-2, and ended the second game of an April 9 doubleheader with a walk-off home run off the bat of now-Giant Mike Ford.
This story was originally published May 3, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
