OT How bout them Mariners (3 Viewers)

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    twobullz said:
    My FIL who is a Mariners fan pointed out the difference in this series was the Dodgers had guys going for base hits and the Mariners were all trying to hit home runs.
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    Yep. We go for 3 runs with a runner on base when there's no runners on.
     
    Solid win against a rotten opponent. Have to win those so all is good.
     

    Welcome to this week’s edition, which features a guest appearance by Friend Of The Newsletter David Adler, who spoke with Julio Rodríguez about a unique skill.

    Center field at T-Mobile Park is the J-Rod No Fly Zone. But right field? That's the J-Rod Big Fly Zone.

    Julio Rodríguez's all-fields power has arrived in full force. The Mariners star's first 30-30 season was built on the home runs he's crushed to the opposite field. No one's robbing those balls.

    J-Rod is the only hitter in the Majors this year who's slugged double-digit opposite-field homers. A third of his home runs have gone to right field.

    Most opposite-field HR, 2023
    Entering this week
    10 -- Julio Rodríguez
    9 -- Matt Olson, Christian Yelich, Gleyber Torres
    8 -- Corbin Carroll, DJ LeMahieu, Anthony Volpe, Marcell Ozuna

    "It's really important. It adds more to what I can do," Rodríguez told MLB.com. "I'm not just gonna be a pull hitter. I feel like I'm able to do damage throughout every field. And with pitchers, I can give them something more to deal with."

    The best way to appreciate it is to see it. Here's what Rodríguez's home run spray chart looks like this year compared to as a rookie.

    x_guaIA6EqdZdIOR4fvrYZ_8Upwx3mUk8UvNyeNBI5WOKUuW9IBuq5vgwf5SUGuwWfA2yqWPDykCt5FryLt-DwXu8uucPGTwNJlGzm0B0N5B_F0ZVd4w_M5pw6JnLeDpCFWhO_l6W9xT_avaZA=s0-d-e1-ft

    He's doubled his opposite-field home run total from 2022 to '23. Rodríguez had five oppo tacos as a rookie, vs. 21 pulled home runs, three-quarters of his season total of 28. This year, under half of his homers have been pulled (14 of 30), as he's spreading the ball across the field more evenly.

    "I feel like last year I was pretty good hitting the ball," the reigning AL Rookie of the Year said. "But this year, with my swing, I've just been staying on pitches more, waiting on the ball to travel. Especially whenever they're on the middle-outside part of the plate. I feel like I'm able to recognize the pitches and let the ball be hit where she wants to be hit."


    It's not just home runs -- Rodríguez has also basically doubled his opposite-field extra-base hits, from 11 in 2022 to 21 in 2023.

    He's one of only six hitters with 20-plus opposite-field extra-base hits, along with Nathaniel Lowe, Yelich, Rafael Devers, Jesús Sánchez and Freddie Freeman.

    All those extra-base hits give Rodríguez a slugging percentage of .790 on his opposite-field contact, one of the highest marks in baseball. Lots of hitters get their slugging from pull power -- Mookie Betts, for example -- but the 22-year-old Rodríguez is blossoming into a hitter who's dangerous no matter where he hits the ball.

    "I know I've got power, but I don't consider myself as a 'normal' power hitter who's just gonna try to pull up homers," Rodríguez said. "I feel like being able to [spray the ball], even if it's a line drive, that's something that I've been doing -- even since I was in the Minors. So I just feel like now, they're going out."




    J-Rod rips the ball to every part of the field. When he pulls it, his average exit velocity is 94.0 mph. When he hits to straightaway center, it's 92.9 mph. And when he goes oppo, it's 92.2 mph.

    Highest opposite-field exit velo, 2023Min. 75 batted balls to opposite field92.2 mph -- Julio Rodríguez
    90.8 mph -- Nathaniel Lowe
    90.5 mph -- Shohei Ohtani, Brandon Marsh
    90.3 mph -- Randy Arozarena, Bo Bichette

    It's no accident that Rodríguez's surge into the MVP mix in the second half has coincided with him tapping into his opposite-field power. J-Rod was a good all-fields hitter in the first half. He's an elite all-fields hitter in the second half.

    Rodríguez on oppo contact

    • 1st half: 91.1 mph exit velo, 4 HR, .355 BA, .649 SLG

    • 2nd half: 94.7 mph exit velo, 6 HR, .462 BA, 1.129 SLG

    This is not just a matter of Rodríguez staying with outside pitches and poking them to right field. It's a clear approach to mash the ball the other way with authority.

    Rodríguez's opposite-field home runs have predominantly come against high-velocity fastballs that are middle-away. J-Rod attacks those pitches with an inside-out swing designed to take advantage of his strong, fast hands and do damage to center or right.







    "My whole approach is not really 'Hit the ball the other way.' It's more 'Stay through the middle,' and that's what allows me to stay the other way, too," Rodríguez said. "Because if you're not trying to cheat on the ball, and just covering both sides [of the plate] -- if I stay to the middle, those pitches out there, I'm gonna be able to drive them better over there [to right]. I feel like that's the type of hitter I've been. And I like to stick to that strength."
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    what happens if Rangers and Mariners finish the season with the same record for last wildcard spot?
     
    Whyachi said:
    what happens if Rangers and Mariners finish the season with the same record for last wildcard spot?
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    Head to head.


    But we also have 7 games in the last couple weeks with them so it'll probably be decided rightly lol
     
    Strenuus said:
    Head to head.


    But we also have 7 games in the last couple weeks with them so it'll probably be decided rightly lol
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    I saw that! End of season best of 7 playoff matchup. That's just crazy how the schedule worked out.
     
    Will I stay sane during this next 10 game period? I doubt it.. Win each series and we win the division. Simple as that.
     
    Shaboid said:
    Will I stay sane during this next 10 game period? I doubt it.. Win each series and we win the division. Simple as that.
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    Houston needs to lose a minimum of 4 games honestly. We're not winning all our games against texas (Even though I will be uber pissed about all of them lol)
     
    MickZagger said:
    Yeah I think they’ve exceeded the Yankees as my least favorite team. Probably because the Yankees just suck these days.
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    Yanks aren't quite eliminated from the playoffs, but I we should be able to celebrate in the next few days once they are.
     
    Shaboid said:
    Yanks aren't quite eliminated from the playoffs, but I we should be able to celebrate in the next few days once they are.
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    Lost in all this is we need Toronto to suck too so we can at least get a wild card spot. At this rate only 2 of the 3 teams in the west will make it.

    Unreal how the schedule lined up for Texas and us.

    Fuck Houston and hope KC can win the series.

    Yankees are pretty much eliminated it's just a matter of time.
     
    Strenuus said:
    Lost in all this is we need Toronto to suck too so we can at least get a wild card spot. At this rate only 2 of the 3 teams in the west will make it.

    Unreal how the schedule lined up for Texas and us.

    Fuck Houston and hope KC can win the series.

    Yankees are pretty much eliminated it's just a matter of time.
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    Not lost on me, man. I've been staring at standings and schedules all morning.
     
    Shaboid said:
    Not lost on me, man. I've been staring at standings and schedules all morning.
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    Yeah I can't fucking help it. The next 10 days are gonna be brutal. Fun. Ups and downs. But as much as it stresses me out, this is where you want to be.

    Pitching has to be nails, and we have to have contributions from at least 1-7 to have a chance.
     
    Strenuus said:
    Lost in all this is we need Toronto to suck too so we can at least get a wild card spot. At this rate only 2 of the 3 teams in the west will make it.

    Unreal how the schedule lined up for Texas and us.

    Fuck Houston and hope KC can win the series.

    Yankees are pretty much eliminated it's just a matter of time.
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    KC is not winning that series against HOU
     
    PDXFonz said:
    KC is not winning that series against HOU
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    IIRC they won the last series against Houston. I gotta go look.

    Houston I think lost series against KC and Oakland in the last month. This is off my faulty memory.
     
    Buckle up fellas, it’s gonna be a fun ride to finish the season
     
    PDXFonz said:
    How y’all M’s fans feeling about todays game?
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    I feel great. Miller is my kind of pitcher, so as long as the offense can show up, confident we can get a W to start this all off.

    I will also be bringing my cardboard cutout Ken Griffey Jr. into the living room for the remainder of the season.

    1 JP SS
    2 Julio CF
    3 Cal C
    4 Teo RF
    5 Geno 3B
    6 Kelenic LF
    7 France 1B
    8 Canzone DH
    9 Rojas 2B

    I will ride with that squad for sure.
     
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    Shaboid said:
    I feel great. Miller is my kind of pitcher, so as long as the offense can show up, confident we can get a W to start this all off.

    I will also be bringing my cardboard cutout Ken Griffey Jr. into the living room for the remainder of the season.
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    I salute your diligence to bring in the goat for any and all superstitions.
     
    I have to mow the yard.
    Will be wearing my Mariners hat.
     
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