Paxton, the best prospects steal the show against the Brewers

Paxton, the best prospects steal the show against the Brewers

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In his first spring training outing, LHP Mariners James Paxton hit eight hitters. (Getty)

The lineup of the Mariners against the Brewers had two and a half regulars, but there is little doubt, the Sunday road team, which featured James Paxton on the mound making his debut in the Cactus League and the phenomena Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodríguez hitting -de back to order, it contained more intrigue than the rest of the week’s line-ups combined. It is safe to say that the day did not disappoint.

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“I didn’t expect to get eight hits for the first time,” Mariners coach Scott Servais said of Paxton, revealing that the southpaw wanted to stay there and see if he could get ten hits. “He did not disappoint. A very, very good first performance for him in game A. Certainly, very excited to have him back in our uniform. “

Paxton made 4 1/3 innings, yielding a run in two strokes (one of them, a double of Kolten Wong’s initial sun that Jake Fraley failed to see in the left field) and two walks while eliminating eight.

After a somewhat difficult start, he was able to settle down, get swings and errors with a fastball that sat at about 95 mph and peaked at 97, and worked on breaking the ball and switching. After being limited to simulation games only due to work visa problems, Paxton was happy to see hitters in different uniforms on the other side.

“It was great,” he said. “I really liked it. It was fun to hang out and compete. I was excited for today’s game. I was definitely excited about it. In the first inning I was really feeling my way through it, but as soon as the second inning came , I let it slip away.

Paxton looked solid in the simulation games he had been launching at Field 2 in Peoria, but as any launcher would tell you, it is impossible to replicate the real competition completely. He appeared to pass the test with praise on Sunday, putting into practice the work he did during the off-season in Seattle to get back into shape after leaving a back surgery in 2020 and a short return with diminished material at the end of the season.

“The past year has been difficult for me,” said Paxton. “I didn’t have the fleece, the body wasn’t in the right place, but I went to work in the off-season and I feel that I’m in a very good place now. Seeing these numbers in the field, just confirm that I’m back. “

As for the assault, it is now behind.

“I would have loved to release A games from the start, but there was nothing I could do about it, nothing anyone could do about it,” he said. “This is the situation we were in, you know, signing when I signed and the way of the world with COVID and everything moving a little more slowly. It really wasn’t anyone’s fault. I’m happy to have solved it and to be back in A-games. “

Servais said Paxton would play another corner game this spring and fall on Saturday, which could present an interesting situation, as the game is against the Mariners Opening Series opponent, the San Francisco Giants. Paxton is currently in third place in the rotation after Gonzales and Kikuchi and it would be unusual to play against his next opponent in a spring game. We’ll see how that will work out, or not, next week.

Of course, this game counted more than the pitch with the youngsters making noise.

Kelenic and Rodríguez were both honored in big leagues with Kelenic going for yards against Freddy Peralta in the second inning and Rodríguez out of Brad Boxberger in the seventh.

“Today it was about puppies, puppies,” said Servais. “These experiences are very important for young players, even in spring training, it is a game in the Major League. It’s fun to see these guys show off their skills out there, it never ends. It’s really fun to be around. “

A year ago, this time, Kelenic and Rodríguez, in their first stage in the major league, had already been sent to the minor league team. They had their first taste of the Major League camp, and although they were winning candidates, they both looked very young, with Kelenic registering just one hit after the first week of games and Rodríguez, who just turned 19, looking defeated in general. This year, despite the challenges of the stoppage, an alternative location and, in the case of Rodríguez, an injury, it was a different story for both.

“Just look at how they handle the situations here in these games,” said Servais. “They are facing much older pitchers, guys with a lot more experience. Ultimately, they have to launch into the strike zone, as long as these two guys continue to control the zone, no matter what level they are at, they will get the results. They will, if you have a good process, you will get good results. “

The process is on display with both. You rarely see the wild swing. Both seem to be in favorable counts most of the time. Rodríguez, in particular, demonstrated last week that he can leave the field that he can’t take and is willing to wait for someone with whom he can do something.

“It’s just maturing,” said Servais. “Understanding the more you play baseball the better is understanding how to make the adjustments. Just seeing them grow up before our very eyes will be incredible in the years to come.

“I can’t stop smiling thinking about what these guys are going to grow,” said Servais, highlighting the defensive moves the two made on Sunday. “It was a lot of fun to see the present and the future and how it all fits together.”

Browser Notes

• Another round of cuts is coming, with Servais saying Sunday morning to wait for the squad to be reduced on Monday or Tuesday. As for the battles for position, they may not come to an end, as Servais would like to have the final squad determined before the day off next Sunday.

• Baseball America came out with a list of 25 spring training highlights and on that list was a Mariner: Mitch Haniger.

According to the scout:

“He looks very good. He’s moving well. He’s playing hard, he’s swinging his club well. He’s playing a good defense. It is good to see you healthy and moving without limping, without restrictions or hesitation. I think he will be an impact guy. He has a chance to return to the All-Star level that we saw. Many teams will call and try to catch you within the negotiation deadline. “

• I’m not sure how Ty France didn’t make it on this list, but he is currently in second place among the average hitters in spring training (0.417) and OPS (1.404).

Follow Mariners insider Shannon Drayer on Twitter.

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