Chuck & Buck's Spring Training 2025 Coverage is underway.
A few things that stood out on Day 1:
- Unlike 2024, several position players did NOT show up early with the Pitchers & Catchers. Read into it what you will.
- Dan Wilson really likes what he's seeing from Gabe Speier. The first-year Manager mentioned Speier twice in his introductory press conference, and the lefty reliever was the first name that came to mind when I asked him who has stood out to him during the first few days of camp.
- Cal Raleigh is noticeably leaner, cut, "taut like a tiger", as I described him to him. He liked the sound of that. He wants to catch every game (they won't let him).
- Mitch Garver pumped some iron this winter. Probably a strong indication of his determination to live down the disappointment of 2024.
- And perhaps most notable topic at the start of Camp: There is a full-fledged competition for the starting 2nd base job. Nothing has been written in pen, according to Dan Wilson himself.
The Frontrunner: Gold Glove Utilityman Dylan Moore
The Dark Horse: 21-year-old prospect Cole Young
But the most intriguing candidate might be the 5'7" speed demon Ryan Bliss, he of the coffee cup of MLB experience in 2024, where he earned a significant number of fans with his game-changing speed, contagious personality and stellar glovework.
One problem: Like most 2024 Mariners, he didn't hit. 14-for-63. More disturbing than a .222 batting average over a short sample size of time is that he struck out 22 times in 71 plate appearances. That's a 31% rate! And what is MOST disturbing is how he was striking out. He couldn't hit the fastball.
But you don't have to tell him.
Five minutes into Chuck & Buck's 15-minute conversation with Bliss Monday, he outed himself. "I gotta be able to hit the fastball," he confessed without prompting. And he's absolutely right. Bliss, or anyone else in the game, simply won't stick without being able to hit ol' #1. And though Bliss was quick to confess his kryptonite, he fought against the notion that it would continue to drain him of his powers.
"I wasn't overmatched. I wasn't late," he told us. "I was just missing. I had work to do in the offseason."
The first step to fixing a problem is being aware that a problem exists. The fastest man on the roster works on increasing his speed every offseason. So, you can imagine how hard Bliss toiled this winter at fixing an actual problem. Footwork drills, handwork drills, whatever it takes to get on time with the heater. It's a must.
Bliss has a very good chance of earning a roster spot when the team breaks camp. He has every chance to earn the starting job at 2nd. Dylan Moore might be the front runner, because he's the most proven player of the three, but it is hard for me to believe that the organization doesn't want Bliss or Young to seize the job over the next five weeks, thus allowing Manager Dan Wilson to use Moore as his Super Utility threat-- the role he thrives at, the role that won him a Gold Glove in 2024. The battle is on.
Camp Battle: Secondbase. Welcome to arguably the most intriguing storyline of Mariners Spring Training 2025.