Locked On Mariners - Daily Podcast On the Seattle Mariners - M's Drop Game Two in Texas/Prospect Talk With Aram Leighton (Part the Third)

Episode Date: August 12, 2020

As effective as the M's offense was on Monday, it was almost that ineffective on Tuesday. D.C. talks about this game briefly, and then updates the American League standings. In addition, the third part of D.C.'s conversation with Aram Leighton about the Mariners' prospects. Today, the two of them talk about Kyle Lewis, and top outfield prospects Jarred Kelenic & Julio Rodriguez. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Thank you for tuning in to Locked-on Mariners, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Here's your host, D.C. Lundberg. You know, gang, I realized the other day that we're actually creeping up on episode number 100 of my tenure here. This is my 93rd episode of Locked-on Mariners, which is part of the Locked-on podcast network, or T-L-O-P-N or T-Lopin, if you will. Remember that you can download, rate, and subscribe to this program on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher Radio, or whichever podcasting app that you personally care to use. You can also ask your smart device to play Locked on Mariner's podcast or locked on anything podcast, any show here on Tloppin. Follow this program on Twitter at L-O-U-U-Sourner's. Follow me on Twitter as well, gang, at D.C. underscore Lundberg, L-U-N-D-B-E.

for those scoring at home. Well, Tuesday night was not exactly the Mariners' night in Arlington, as it were. Monday night, the Rangers asked the Mariners, Hey, can we open the roof to see if the ball flies a little farther? And boy, did that work in the Mariners' favor. So Tuesday night, they had the lid back on the place. And Mariners didn't do much offensively. Neither did the Rangers, really.

In the games, in the eight games where the roof had been closed, teams were averaging, both teams were averaging six runs a game. Well, with the roof closed Tuesday night, guess what gang? Rangers 4, Mariner's 2, and by just about everyone's math, that equals six runs. Marco Gonzalez had kind of an interesting night on the mound. He winds up going five innings and throwing 89 pitches. However, two at-bats to Joey Gallo. He threw 10 pitches and 8 pitches, and two more at-bats to Rognetto-Dore.

nine pitches a piece. So he has 36 pitches in those four at-bats alone, which probably cost him an inning's worth of work. He gave up two runs in the first inning and the third inning, and he didn't look that bad otherwise, so he could have gone deeper in the ballgame had those four at-bats not gone so long. Mariners, on the other hand,

only could muster four hits all ballgame. They also walked four times. Two of those hits belonged to Kyle Seeger. including an infield hit in the first inning, which was originally scored a groundout, but upon further review, as people like to say, he was ruled to save, didn't really extend the inning too much.

Mariners didn't score until the fifth inning, and that was a J.P. Crawford RBI single, and an Elvis Andrews throwing error in which Tim Lopes scored, Kyle Lewis hit the ball to Elvis Andrews, who threw low to the first base, and he couldn't pick it out. So no RBI for Lewis on that play, and the run also, of course, course was un-earned. In addition to Seeger and Crawford, who had those three hits,

the other hips was had by Tim Lopes, who went one for two with a walk. Evan White, 044, three strikeouts. He is really struggling, gang. It's kind of difficult to watch. He will get better. He is a rookie. This is his first major league experience. This is his first experience above double A, remember. He will be fine in the long haul. Now, if he comes out of the shoot next year and hits 100, then I say we probably have a problem. But this is a This is such a weird throwaway year that I'm not concerned. Shedlong, Jr. O for two, two strikeouts. And again, Marco Gonzalez, five innings pitched seven hits.

Four runs, all of them earned. Only one walk. Two strikeouts. Matt McGill pitched a scoreless inning. Three strikeouts are tired, all three hitters he faced via strikeout. Alta Villa then came in for an inning, walked one, scoreless inning on his part. Brian Shaw then came in for an inning just back up from the alternate training site.

And amazingly, doesn't allow a base runner or a run. He pitches one inning and strikes out two. batters. Again, M's fall to the Rangers 4 to 2. Going to get you caught up about what's going on in the rest of the American League before the second half of the show commences in which we will continue

our conversation with Aram Layton of Locked on MLB prospects. Oakland days lose their second in a row today, bringing their record to 12 and 6. Before these two losses, they had won nine games in a row. And they're doing this, ladies and gentlemen, with a team

that is number 13 in the American League in batting average. However, they're number two and on-base percentage. Their on-base percentage is 109 points higher than their batting average coming into Tuesday's action. 217 batting average, 326 on base. However, they've got the number two ERA in the American League. They're 12 and 6 right at this exact moment.

That is a 667 winning percentage, which is the best in the American League. As a matter of fact, they're the only team in the American League West, that's over 500. Houston and Texas are tied for second place. Both of them have identical 7 and 9 records. However, Houston's game is in progress right now. They're currently in the top of the 10th inning. In Houston against the Giants, the Giants have a one-run lead with runners on

second and third, and that is as of this recording right now at 9.52 p.m. Pacific time on Tuesday, August 11th. Next comes the Anaheim Angels, I almost said, California Angels gang. No, they're the Los Angeles Angels. 7 and 11 is their record. And then in the last place are our Seattle Mariners at 7 and 12. Just behind the Oakland days in terms of win percentage are the New York Yankees who lead the Eastern Division. They're 11 and 6.

Right behind them, the Tampa Bay Rays at 10 and 8. Then the Baltimore Orioles, they're over 500. Yeah, they're over 500 by 1. game, eight and seven. Then we got the six and eight Toronto Blue Jays and the six and eleven Boston Red Sox still having kind of the World Series hangover from two years ago. And of course it also helps that they no longer have mooky bets on their roster. He's now a Dodger. The Central is kind of interesting. Minnesota currently leads at 11 and 7. Half game behind them are the Detroit Tigers at 9 and 6. Then one game behind the Tigers, Cleveland, kind of interesting things

happening in Cleveland over the last couple days. They're 10 and 8. The Chicago White Sox are exactly at 500 at 9 and 9. Mariners' trivia question for the day is this. With his two hits today, Kyle Seeger, now has 178 career hits against the Texas Rangers, which is the most of any active player. Who is number two? Answer following this word from CBDMD.

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Answer to the trivia question gang with his two hits today, Kyle Seeger now has 178 hits against the Texas Rangers, which is the most the Rangers have given up to any active MLB player. Right behind him at 177 hits is the incomparable Mike Trout. Something tells me Trout's going to overtake that record again sooner or later. And I'll also point out that Mike Trout has the most hits against the Seattle Mariner's with 186. Remember, gang, if you've got a question for me or a comment on the show, doesn't have to be a baseball comment or question, email it to Locked-on Mariners at gmail.com,

and I will probably read it on the Friday mailbag segment, reply to your question, your comment, tell me you love the show, tell me I'm a complete idiot, anything you want to say just as long as it is family-friendly and appropriate, then I will most likely read it on the air. We will have a mailbag segment this Friday, although considering that I haven't gotten that many emails, it might be a short segment, but I will get to them this Friday.

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Everybody wins. Amazing selection, reliably low prices, all the parts your car will ever need. Rock Auto.com. Now time for the second half of Locked-on Mariners. Once again, your host, D.C. Lundberg. Yes, indeed, gang. We are back here on Locked-on Mariners. And part three of our conversation with Aram Layton of Locked-on MLB prospects about to get underway. We had just finished talking about Evan White as we wrapped up on Tuesday. and as we begin today, I'll go back a couple seconds again

to kind of pick up where we left off. We're going to begin talking about the Mariners' great new center fielder, Kyle Lewis. I do like Evan White. I thought he was a dark horse for rookie of the year. I think that ship has obviously sailed, but that's no big deal. That's just one award, and he can bounce back next year and have a really solid season. He can still salvage this year.

And there's a lot of other prospects like Kyle Lewis who are making up for it and having really, really exciting debuts. I mean, speaking about a rookie of the year candidate, and you talked a little bit about the outfield, which is a good shift. Let's start talking about the Mariners Outfield future. And the future is there at the big league level right there in one person. And that is Kyle Lewis, who he might win rookie of the year. He's having a fantastic season. Yeah. I mean, nobody really saw this coming to this degree, no matter how much you liked Kyle Lewis. I didn't see it either. No. And I know I always was like, wait and see on Lewis because this poor guy

just keeps getting hurt. Yes. He hit the darn ball. We know that. And again, the Mariners are not afraid to go mid-major if they like the player. And Kyle Lewis was playing at Mercer, and some people don't like that. They'll discount the competition or whatever it may be. But you can just see the tools that Kyle Lewis has and how they play up.

He was banged up, could never really get going in the minor leagues. And right when it seemed like he was starting to turn the corner, he would get sent back to the DL because of whatever injury he had. I know his knee was given him problems for a while. Now, he finishes really strong to last year, keeps the momentum going, and when he gets to call up this year, he is fantastic. And I think that, okay, of course he's not going to hit 400 for the rest of his career. This is here to stay.

I think Kyle Lewis is going to be the type of player that you can expect to hit at least in the mid to high 200s. he can hit you 20 home runs. Yes, he is the kind of guy that could go into some ruts where you're going to see some strikeouts come in spurts. But overall, he has so many tools. You can see him just maturing at the plate every single at bat. It's almost like he stores the knowledge and applies it to the next at bat. He just seems to be so much more advanced at the plate than he was just a year or two ago.

And it has been really fun to watch. And then to go and look at the other outfit, field prospects because even if Kyle Lewis didn't pan out here, let's say he had Evan White numbers starting the season, you could still feel good about the future of the Mariners outfield just off of Jared Kalinick and Julio Rodriguez alone. Oh, totally. Those are the two guys that I'm sure everybody wants to talk about. And of course, they should be talked about.

I mean, Jared Kalinick, this is going to be looked at in the trade with the Mets will be looked at. And it should already be looked at as one of the worst trades in the last. decade. But I think when it's all said and done, we'll be looked at as one of the worst trades in the last 25, 30 years. Because Robinson Cano is hitting the ball well this year. Now he's back on the IL with a strained groin. Edwin Diaz, the mariners were brilliant to sell high on a reliever. We know how volatile relievers are and look at what Diaz is doing now. To get Jared Klinik out of that is just insane. And to get out from under Conno's contract, I mean, it's

just incredible. And it wasn't like they just got Kalinick. They got other pieces too and Justin Dunn and other guys. And I just loved the deal when it happened and it's just aged like fine wine and Kalinick has been the player that everybody thought he could be when he was going

to be drafted out of high school in that draft class. He was the most advanced hitter out of any high schooler. He has continued to show that he is one of the most polished hitters in all of minor league baseball despite the fact that he is only 21 years old and just turned 21 years old. He's another player that will be moved quickly through the system. And yeah,

he struggled a little bit finally in 21 AA games. But that's what the Mariners wanted. They knew that he was probably going to struggle a little bit when they sent him up for the final 21 games of the season to play in AA. Now he's got a taste of it. He can go back next year, play a full year in AA, and now he knows what to expect. That was exactly part of the plan. I wouldn't be worried whatsoever. And the fact is, he has all of the tools to be a five tool type of player. I think I threw this comp out for somebody else. So I feel like this is a cheap comp. But I really could see some Michael Brantley type of production with a little bit more power with Jared Kalinick, because he's got the speed. He can play good defense. He's got a really mature approach at the plate, a sweet left-handed

swing, and everything just plays. I think that he is as safe of a prospect. If you were were to buy stock in the lower levels or that's under the age of 22 that you're going to find. And then you go into Julio Rodriguez. Yeah, there's a little bit more unknown with this kid because he's only 19. And whenever I see someone's birthday in 2000, that's still something I'm going to have to get used to. Yeah. He's legitimately a freak in the most endearing way possible.

He had a ridiculous year last year as an 18-year-old, which is just unheard of for an 18-year-old to be already in high A. he only played 17 games there, but to hit 462 in those 17 games, the strikeouts is something that I want to look out for at the higher levels. I think there's a little bit too much movement to his swing right now that he can get away with at the lower levels. But these are little adjustments that I think will be made as he has some trial and error. Because right now he's not striking out at a ridiculous rate.

That's not really what I'm saying here. 66 strikeouts and 67 games, not really too bad. but the movement and the timing seems to be something that can get thrown out of whack with the type of approach he has right now. I could be wrong and he could find a way to make it work. You have guys like Justin Turner who have all the movement in the world and can make it work.

But I had Greg Pocene on the podcast last week if you want to take a listen to that. And he talked about how he just couldn't do the leg kick anymore. It was throwing off his timing. He watched it work for some teammates. He talked to Bo Bichette with the Js and Bo Boh Bichet. and Bo Bichette talked about how he had eliminated that leg kick and tried to simplify it and it works for him. And Griffin, Conine says he feels better than ever now and strikeouts were a little bit of an issue for him.

So some people have to simplify it. Some people don't. We'll see how it works for Rodriguez moving up to the higher levels. I just, based on what I saw against some higher velocity right handers, it seemed like he was getting a little bit crowded and then caught cheating sometimes too on the breaking balls. I'm still so excited to watch this kid play. I think he has the future to, the potential to be a star in the future. And it's just going to be those little tweaks here and there as he moves up to the higher levels. I mean, he's a teenager.

So let's just see what this kid can do. And I'm eager to see how good he can be. And he's not going to turn 20 until December, ladies and gentlemen. Yeah, I mean, not even until December. And it's unfortunate that he broke his wrist. He had a hair on his wrist. But if there's a time for him to get hurt, I guess now is the time. Oh, yeah, totally.

And get back into hitting, you know, whenever he feels ready. that this is just a kid that if I'm buying baseball cards for example I like to collect baseball cards yeah this is one of the prospects I'm investing in both Kalinick and Rodriguez are two players that I have bought their cards I'm very high on them and I think both will climb up the system quickly both a little bit different in their types of player that they are but I think people are underselling the Rodriguez hit tool a little bit he he's only got a 55 grade hit tool while Kalinick is 60 to 65 and I think Rodriguez just makes those slight tweaks to ensure that he can repeat his timing and really just be on the ball more consistently,

despite what kind of velocities he's facing and what kind of pitchers, because he really seems to struggle against those high-velocity slider fastball guys. That's the only thing that he really seems to need to work on at the higher levels. Other than that, this is the type of player to me that will always hit the ball for a pretty consistent batting average. And I don't think there's any questions on his power or his arm in the field. I mean, an outfield of Jared Klanick and Julio Rodriguez you can just dream on. We'll pick up where we left off with this conversation in the second half of tomorrow's program.

I hope you've been enjoying this little chat, Aram and I had over the weekend. I had fun doing it, and I hope you're enjoying it as well. In the first half of tomorrow's show, I will be joined by guest panelists, Fred Mertz, Mortimer Mouse, and a Shetakein Mushroom. Ooh, that's going to be a great conversation, again. You will not want to miss that. So be sure to download right and subscribe to this program. so you never miss any episode.

Google Podcast, Apple Podcasts, Stitch your Radio, Spotify, pick a podcasting app and try us, because we're probably there because we are everywhere. Follow this show on Twitter at L.O. underscore Mariners, and follow me on Twitter as well at D.C. underscore Lundberg. Have a great Wednesday, ladies and gentlemen. Week is almost halfway over. Hang in there.

This is Joey Martin saying, join us back here next time for another edition of Locked-on Mariners, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network.