Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto: Taylor Trammell has ‘different level of confidence’ since return

The Mariners have had their fair shares of bumps and bruises recently, but that has opened the door for at least one positive development with the team.

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When center fielder Kyle Lewis landed on the 10-day injured list with a meniscus tear that will likely keep him out for an extended period of time, it opened up a spot for Taylor Trammell to return from Triple-A. And it’s not just that Trammell was the next man up, as his numbers during a 17-game stint with the Rainiers were worthy of a call-up regardless.

Trammell made the opening day Mariners roster after an impressive spring training, but he slashed just .157/.255/.337 and struck out 41 times in 95 plate appearances over 27 games with Seattle, which was his first MLB stint. Upon being sent down to the minors, he took off immediately, posting a .384/.413/.726 slash for a 1.139 OPS. He also hit six homers and seven doubles, walked three times, and struck out just 17 times in 80 plate appearances before rejoining the M’s.

The time with Tacoma seemed to be just what Trammell needed, as he has been much more comfortable at the plate in his second go-round in the majors. He hit a solo homer in his first game back with the Mariners on Tuesday, and after a hitless game Wednesday, he has put together a modest three-game hitting streak, including a 2 for 3 effort with two doubles on Friday against the Angels.

He's back with a bang 💥 pic.twitter.com/v0Af6A9pDs

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) June 2, 2021

Thursday on 710 ESPN Seattle’s Jerry Dipoto Show, the Mariners’ general manager shared some insight on what Trammell may have gotten out of his trip to the minors.

“One of the things that you can do with sending a player back to Triple-A is it’s not always for the magical swing fix or the visit with the hitting coach who gets him right,” Dipoto said on the weekly segment with Danny and Gallant. “… Mostly it’s going back and remembering all the things you do well and finding your confidence, finding the barrel of the bat consistently, which Taylor did from the moment he arrived in Tacoma. And a couple weeks in Tacoma resulted in a different level of confidence when he steps in the box, much like when we broke spring training.”

While Trammell has hit so far since being brought back up by Seattle (4 for 13, .308 average), Dipoto said it’s not just the 23-year-old outfielder’s results that seem to be improved, but also his approach.

“I really like the at-bats he’s taking. He’s faced some really tough left-handed pitching (since returning to the Mariners)… and he’s hanging in there and he’s hitting the ball hard. And we’ve seen what Taylor can do when he’s in a good place. The tools play.”

Dipoto went so far as to say Trammell doesn’t look like the same player who was struggling in early May.

“He’s such a fun player to watch and I was thrilled when I saw how he looked in the box (Tuesday) because it was very different than three weeks ago when he left. That’s an encouraging thought and that’s what player development is all about.”

You can hear Dipoto’s full thoughts in the podcast at this link or in the player below. And to catch The Jerry Dipoto Show live, tune into 710 ESPN Seattle at 8:30 a.m. every Thursday.

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