Michael Saunders

[clarknova]

Sometimes I'll be watching a game and get completely caught off guard by a stat line. I knew Michael Saunders was doing much better and especially recently, but my eyes just about popped out of my head when I saw that the career .214 hitter that is Michael Saunders is batting .268 this year with 6 homers and a .340 OBP. That is massive improvement. What I also like is that all the talking he was doing before the season started wasn't bull. He went out and did it. Michael Saunders. I hate to say it, based on a couple years of moaning at his ABs... but... I'm kinda digging Michael Saunders in the lineup. I'm starting to think that if Guti puts it together in his rehab starts, we send Carp down when he returns and put Saunders in left, or better yet... Release Figgy and keep Carp as the 4th outfielder sharing time with Liddi here and there. Or, better yet! DFA Figgy, send Carp down and call Wells back up who is tearing the cover off in Tacoma. I've read Guti is hitting the ball hard for someone that hasn't played in forever, and that they'd planned on giving him about 20 games in AAA, give or take.

Something I heard on the broadcast last night really spoke to the real improvement Saunders has made. Apparently in the entire 2011 season he had one hit on the first pitch of an AB. This year he has 13. That was one thing that drove me crazy. I can't stand it when you KNOW a guy is going to be behind in the count almost EVERY time he comes to the plate. Betancourt, Lopez, and Olivo were (and are) like that. The only person in all of the time that I've been watching Mariners games that would get a ton of 0-2 counts that I didn't mind at all was Edgar Martinez. I used to say that he did it on purpose.

Another thing that jumped out at me when I looked at his stats this morning: Michael Saunders is 25. To put that in perspective- Dustin Ackley and Kyle Seager are 24.

[Igoe4Mariners]

Sometimes it takes tall, lanky players a bit longer to figure things out at the Major League Level with so many moving parts and a wide strike zone (Corey Hart for example). Saunders has such power that it's surprising at times. That bomb he hit to center field last night wasn't even a full swing. Now we are seeing why he had such high potential a few years back. I had written him off coming into this season, but he has taken the CF job and ran with it if you ask me.

What I want to see now is him sustain this type of hitting even when he's not in a hot streak. He's been a streaky hitter this year, but if he could hang around the .260 mark with an .800 OPS, that'd be our CF of the future in my mind.

[206HoopsFan]

I heard on Brock & Salk that he's second in doubles for center fielders (can't remember if that's AL or both). I have to admit, as excited as I had been about a lot of our young guys, I had pretty much given up on Saunders because of how hopeless he's looked in the past. Great to see him finally coming around though, obviously the physical talent was always there. Seems like a really likable guy as well.

[Igoe4Mariners]

So he's just a modest 3/3 tonight

[Mariners51]

It's been a ton of fun to watch him hit as of late. Now I want to see him keep it going at home.