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Mariners: Ben Gamel carving out a role for himself

By Bill Pivetz

Apr 28, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Seattle Mariners right fielder Ben Gamel (16) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 28, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Seattle Mariners right fielder Ben Gamel (16) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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Many thought the Mariners outfield would be in shambles after the Mitch Haniger injury. However, one young outfielder is stepping up and worth a look.

The Seattle Mariners outfield situation has flipped upside down over the last couple of weeks. It started with Jarrod Dyson, Leonys Martin and Mitch Haniger manning the three spots. With the injuries to Haniger and the demotion of Martin, the alignment is completely different.

Dyson moved over to center field, Guillermo Heredia is in left and Ben Gamel took over for Haniger in right field. Gamel is making the most of this opportunity and is worth an add in deeper leagues.

The former New York Yankees prospect is making good contact as the Mariners No. 2 hitter. In 62 plate appearances, he has a .373/.475/.588 line with two home runs, 11 RBI and 14 runs scored.

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In addition to making contact, Gamel is patient at the plate. He has 16 strikeouts and 10 walks. Hitting in front of Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz will give you a lot of pitches to hit.

Gamel had 57 combined plate appearances between the Yankees and Mariners last season. In that time, he had a 43.8 ground ball and 21.9 line drive rate. So far this season, he has a 28.6 ground ball and 37.1 line drive rate. His fly ball rate has stayed around the same.

Gamel is also hitting the ball hard. He has a great 8.3 soft contact rate while he has a 50 percent medium and 41.7 percent hard hit rates. As long as he can make good contact and keep the balls off the ground, Gamel can maintain a plus-.300 average.

This only matters as long as Gamel stays in the lineup. Haniger is dealing with an oblique injury. According to the Seattle Times, manager Scott Servais said Haniger “has yet to do any baseball activities, including swinging a bat.”

The hope is that he returns towards the end of the month after a lengthy rehab assignment. When Haniger returns, I believe Gamel moves over to left, giving Haniger is job back and Dyson stays in center field.

Next: Under the radar NL West prospects

Gamel is owned in just 9.4 percent of leagues. If you need an outfield replacement, Gamel is a nice fill in. While he won’t hit for power, the contact is more than enough. He will have a starting job for a couple more weeks, and possibly longer.

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