Watch: Jorge Polanco slugs upper-deck shot for his 1st Mariners homer
Apr 6, 2024, 7:03 PM | Updated: Apr 7, 2024, 2:24 pm
Jorge Polanco of the Seattle Mariners after hitting a home run on March 10, 2024. (John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
(John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
It’s been a slow start to 2024 for new Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco, but perhaps what he did on Saturday will kickstart the former All-Star.
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During the eighth inning of the Mariners’ matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers, Polanco got a hanging breaking ball over the middle of the plate from reliever Bryse Wilson and he didn’t miss it.
Polanco turned on the offering, slugging a 418-foot blast into the upper deck at American Family Field for his first home run as a member of the Mariners. Per Statcast, Polanco’s deep shot was 106.6 mph off the bat, and would have been a homer in every single ballpark in MLB besides Oracle Park in San Francisco.
Polanco, a switch-hitter, started Saturday’s game hitting from the right side of the plate due to the Brewers starting lefty DL Hall. But Polanco switched to the left side of the plate against the righty Wilson and wound up going yard.
Check out the highlight of Polanco’s first Mariners home run in the video below.
For the first time as a Mariner, @Jorge_Polanco1 has gone yard 💥 pic.twitter.com/Cn5JtSlb1d
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) April 7, 2024
Polanco, an All-Star in 2019, was brought over from Minnesota to be a key fixture in Seattle’s lineup. The veteran infielder spent the first 10 years of his MLB career with the Twins, as well the entirety of his professional career since signing as an international free agent as a teenager.
It was clear when the Mariners acquired him how important they felt Polanco was as they traded four players, including a top hitting prospect and reliever Justin Topa, for his services. Polanco has hit third in every game for Seattle this season.
Polanco entered Saturday with a .167/.242/.167 slash line through the Mariners’ first eight games of the year with no extra-base hits. Perhaps having his first home run in a Mariners uniform under his belt will get Polanco going, which would be key for a Seattle lineup that has largely struggled to start 2024.
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