Striking out at an epic and historic rate

[PolarVortex]

Almonte: 36 strikeouts. Season pace - 243
Miller: 26 strikeouts. Season pace - 176
Smoak: 24 strikeouts. Season pace - 162
Zunino: 21 strikeouts. Season pace - 142
Seagar: 20 strikeouts. Season pace - 135
Ackley: 17 strikeouts. Season pace - 115
Hart: 16 strikeouts. Season pace - 108
Cano: 14 strikeouts. Season pace - 95

 

[blstoker]

This has been my biggest concern about the offense. Smoak is gonna strikeout, so no real concern there, as he isn't striking out any more than he ever has, really. Cano and Hart's pace is really bad for their role in the offense either. But Almonte and Miller are killing the offense with their continually making outs without putting the ball into play. As the 1 and 2 hitters it was their job to be on base for Cano Hart and Smoak, which they haven't done. I'm still a little miffed that they sent Franklin back down without giving him a shot at short stop for a few games in a row to see if he would do better (or at least light a fire under Miller's ass). Almonte hasn't done anything right thus far this season, and I just don't see the benefit of leaving him on the roster.

 

[PolarVortex]

This has been my biggest concern about the offense. Smoak is gonna strikeout, so no real concern there, as he isn't striking out any more than he ever has, really. Cano and Hart's pace is really bad for their role in the offense either. But Almonte and Miller are killing the offense with their continually making outs without putting the ball into play. As the 1 and 2 hitters it was their job to be on base for Cano Hart and Smoak, which they haven't done. I'm still a little miffed that they sent Franklin back down without giving him a shot at short stop for a few games in a row to see if he would do better (or at least light a fire under Miller's ass). Almonte hasn't done anything right thus far this season, and I just don't see the benefit of leaving him on the roster.

It's Almonte, Saunders or Chavez in CF. There are no other options that they can rely on for more than a game or two at a stretch. I think it should be Saunders, and he should be hitting in teh bottom third of the batting order.

Almonte's biggest problem this year is his inability to hit right handerss. Last year that was his strength.

Based on how they ahve done against left handers so far thiss year, the Mariners can put up a pretty good lineup against lefthanders. Romero, Ackley, Zunino, and Almonte all hit .250+ against lefties.

But against righties they have been been pretty putrid so far. The only guys they can count on are Cano, Smoak, Hart and Seagar. The rest are completely useless.

 

[SeattleCoug]

Only guys that I am worried about with the strikeouts are Almonte and Miller. Both look overmatched and not able to handle major league pitching at this point. Neither one take many walks either. Of course those are the two guys that have been your 1-2 hitters most of the time so that's extremely concerning if you have any hope of you middle of the order guys to produce.

 

[dude82]

Only guys that I am worried about with the strikeouts are Almonte and Miller. Both look overmatched and not able to handle major league pitching at this point. Neither one take many walks either. Of course those are the two guys that have been your 1-2 hitters most of the time so that's extremely concerning if you have any hope of you middle of the order guys to produce.

I agree. For Almonte, this is his first full year and he was given the leadoff spot by McClendon in Spring Training, so he's overanxious to make things happen and he hasn't yet been able to make the adjustment to how major league pitchers are pitching to him. The only thing I can come up with for Miller's struggles is that he knows Franklin was right there with him for the starting shortstop job at the end of Spring Training before he won it and I'm sure he knows that both Franklin and Chris Taylor, two guys who play or have played shortstop, are/have been mashing down in AAA so far. When you know there's someone breathing down your neck to take your job, you either step up your game and prove that it should be yours or you look over your shoulder and start pressing. Miller appears to be doing the latter. Hopefully a couple of days off will get these guys to relax and start hitting like they belong here.

 

[SeattleCoug]

Its my hope that Almonte is either moved to the 4th OF role or sent to AAA. Im ok with Saunders and Romero getting some regular starts to see what they are. They have been used strictly in a platoon role up to this point but I would like to see Saunders get some ABs vs lefties and Romero some ABs vs righties.

 

[Logicallylethal]

If Seager can continue to hit 5 hrs and drive in 11 rbis every 4 games we'll be good

 

[Itsmytime]

If Seager can continue to hit 5 hrs and drive in 11 rbis every 4 games we'll be good

That and breaking the HR and RBI record by a landslide!

 

[dude82]

Seager is hot right now. Let's hope he can keep it going for a while and that some of the other hitters start to get hot so that he doesn't have to keep carrying the offense.

 

[Mariners_44]

Add one for Almonte

 

[Banned 10x]

Add one for Almonte

how about 2 more.

unbelievable that he is still in this lineup

 

[NWinAZ]

Believe or not, I actually like Almonte. No I don't think he is ready and I think he should be leading off for Tacoma right now, but he has the tools to be something special. Not sure if he will ever develop the tools to be successful, but at least he has a chance.

 

[Mariners_44]

At this point I would rather trade for Ichiro (if they eat some of his salary), and have him leading off again. He could still man RF, he's hitting over .300 in 22 games, and it would be an upgrade overall. Move Saunders to center and we are all set.

Wait a minute, did I just say that?

 

[NWinAZ]

Please don't be like the Mariners management. Aim higher.

 

[Mariners_44]

Please don't be like the Mariners management. Aim higher.

LOL, so true!

I'm just getting tired of watching our #1 & #2 hitters kill any opportunity for runs. Something has to give at the top of the order because they aren't cutting it.

 

[SeattleCoug]

I am not writing off Almontes major league career by any means, but if Lloyd keeps running him out there in the leadoff spot he will set the record for strike outs in a season

 

[Mariners_44]

I am not writing off Almontes major league career by any means, but if Lloyd keeps running him out there in the leadoff spot he will set the record for strike outs in a season

I'm not writing him off, but he needs to earn that spot in the lineup. That's a lot of pressure for a rookie, and it has clearly affected him.

Also, why do we have a momentum killer behind Smoak on a daily basis? Gillespie, Romero, blah-bluh fricken' blah! Cano, Hart, Smoak, Seager, Ackley, Zunino, that's the lineup. Scrubs in front and a scrub at the back end, but we need this order on a consistent basis. These guys are producing, cluster them up!

 

[seahawksfan234]

Was just about to make a thread on this very topic. I noticed that Almonte is on pace to set the single season record for strikeouts in a season. What an accomplishment.