Mariners prospect Kade Anderson nearly flawless in latest Double-A start
Welcome to The Seattle Times' Sunday inside baseball page, where we review the week that was on the diamond, highlight key trends with the Mariners and present our weekly MLB Power Rankings.
Stat of the Week
82
Against left-handed pitching, the Mariners' lineup ranks last in the American League with an 82 wRC+, a measurement of overall offensive production controlled for park effects, with 100 representing league average. The M's are hitting .211 with a .626 OPS against lefties, both worst in the majors.
Prospect Watch
Kade Anderson was nearly flawless again Friday night for Double-A Arkansas, allowing just two hits over six shutout innings in the Travelers' 4-0 victory at Frisco, Texas. He issued one walk with eight strikeouts, and he has not allowed a run over his last 27 2/3 innings. In his first 12 pro starts, Anderson has a 1.02 ERA with a 90-to-8 strikeout-to-walkout in 61 2/3 innings, and the fervor is escalating to see both Anderson and Ryan Sloan - the top two pitching prospects in baseball - arrive in Seattle.
Anderson and Sloan remain on track to earn a big-league promotion at some point late this summer, perhaps to bolster the Mariners' bullpen. The Mariners have maintained that the best thing for the development of the two young arms is to stay, for now, in the Double-A Texas League, where they can continue to build up their stamina and pitch count. There is no rush to promote either of them to Triple-A Tacoma; the Mariners have traditionally protected their young pitching prospects from the hitter-friendly environments around the Pacific Coast League.
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Who's Hot
In six starts (seven appearances), Bryce Miller has a 1.58 ERA over 40 innings, with 23 hits allowed and a 43-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He's holding batters to a .170/.200/.319 slash line (.519 OPS).
Who's Not
Batting leadoff, Rob Refsnyder went 0 for 4 Friday night against the Red Sox, his former club. In 56 plate appearances at T-Mobile Park, Refsnyder has three hits in 52 at-bats, with one homer, one walk, 17 strikeouts and a .188 OPS this season. In 52 plate appearances on the road, he is hitting .233 (10 for 43) with a .718 OPS. With the M's scheduled to face three of Boston's left-handed starters, this weekend provides an important - and urgent - opportunity for Refsnyder to start to climb out of a prolonged slump to begin his Mariners tenure.
Ex-Mariner of the Week
The Texas Rangers on Friday called up Jarred Kelenic from Triple-A Round Rock, where he'd hit .340 with three homers in 13 games. The Rangers signed Kelenic to a minor-league deal earlier this month after the Mariners' former top prospect was released by the White Sox.
Mariners Top 5: 'Stop it
As part of the M's 50th season, we'll look back each week at the team's all-time leaders in various statistical categories. This week, it's the top five shortstops in franchise history, as measured by Baseball Reference Wins Above Replacement.
Career
1. Alex Rodriguez, 38.1
2. J.P. Crawford, 21.6
3. Omar Vizquel, 10.3
4. Brendan Ryan, 7.5
5. Jean Segura, 7.1
Season
1. Alex Rodriguez, 10.4 (2000)
2. Alex Rodriguez, 9.4 (1996)
3. Alex Rodriguez, 8.5 (1998)
4. Alex Rodriguez, 5.7 (1997)
5. J.P. Crawford, 5.2 (2023)
Power Rankings
MLB's definitive weekly rankings, from The Times' Adam Jude
1. Dodgers (Last week: 2)
2. Braves (1)
3. Brewers (3)
4. Yankees (4)
5. Rays (5)
6. Phillies (6)
7. Guardians (8)
8. Cardinals (10)
9. White Sox (7)
10. Nationals (13)
11. Padres (11)
12. Mariners (9)
13. Cubs (16)
14. Pirates (12)
15. Diamondbacks (17)
16. A's (15)
17. Rangers (14)
18. Astros (20)
19. Blue Jays (19)
20. Marlins (21)
21. Tigers (23)
22. Reds (22)
23. Orioles (18)
24. Mets (26)
25. Twins (24)
26. Red Sox (25)
27. Royals (27)
28. Giants (28)
29. Angels (29)
30. Rockies (30)
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