A look at one of the new additions to the Mariners’ 40-man roster

Making a team’s 40-man roster for the first time isn’t nearly the accomplishment of making a big-league debut, but it is affirmation that a ballplayer is on the right path. Three players received the good news Thursday night that the Mariners organization thinks highly enough of them to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft and that they are perhaps one step closer to making the big-league roster.

With the shortage of catching in the big leagues right now, it was no surprise that the Mariners would protect John Hicks. He has been making steady progress in the minors, and while Jesus Sucre currently would appear to have the inside track as the backup to Mike Zunino, Hicks should challenge for the position this spring.

Hicks attended the University of Virginia, where he caught Danny Hultzen, and he was drafted by the Mariners in the fourth round in 2011. Scouting director Tom McNamara liked what he saw on the field as well as the intangibles he brought.

“He’s an athletic catcher, he can hit. He’s like a quarterback that throws not a rocket but a catchable pass. He’s got a really quick release,” McNamara said. “He’s a heady guy, a leader. He’s just kind of Steady Eddie across the board. He does a lot of little things well.”

McNamara also pointed to his versatility. Hicks runs well for a catcher, and while the Mariners have kept him at catcher in his time with the organization, he did play some first base and outfield in college. A position change is not in the cards but the versatility could prove valuable for a backup catcher.

I caught up with Hicks in early November as he was finishing up his Arizona Fall League season. One of the first things that people notice with Hicks is the uncanny resemblance to a young Dan Wilson. He’s heard it before.

“When I first signed with Seattle, Roger (Hansen), who used to be the catching coordinator, told me I reminded him so much of Dan Wilson,” Hicks said with a laugh. “And now Dan is coordinator. It’s kind of funny. I wear No. 6 and everything.”

According to McNamara, Hicks has made great strides with his defense. The Arizona Fall League gave him the opportunity to catch guys and stuff that he had never seen before – valuable experience for a catcher who has played in just 28 games above Double-A. One reliever on the team threw a good splitter, something Hicks said he doesn’t see often in the minors. In the majors with the Mariners’ staff, there will be a number of splitters and other nasty pitches to catch. Hicks believes he is ready.

“One thing I worked on a lot this year is blocking,” he said. “(Jim) Horner was my manager, and he kind of taught me some things feeling-wise when you are going to go to block a ball and some of those things helped me out. I felt as good as I ever felt behind the plate.”

The numbers reflected that, with Hicks dropping his passed-ball totals from 17 in 2013 to two in 2014. He has also put up impressive numbers controlling the running game, throwing out opposing base-stealers at a rate of 47 percent in his career.

“I take a lot of pride in my defense,” he said. “I think my favorite part about catching is throwing a runner out that is trying to steal. All they want to do is be safe, all you want to do is throw them out. It’s kind of a battle between you and the baserunner. When you release the ball and see it’s going to be on the bag and you are probably going to get him, it is a pretty cool feeling.”

Hicks is clearly a defense-first catcher, but after a stumble in 2013 at Double-A he put up nice numbers between Tacoma and Jackson in 2014, hitting .290/.351/.403/.754 in 290 at-bats. In addition to offseason work with minor-league hitting coordinator Lee May and former Triple-A manager Roy Howell to quiet his swing and get more out of his legs, understanding who he is as a hitter helped as well.

“I went to Jackson and kind of let things happen,” he said. “I didn’t try to force the issue, didn’t try to do anything that wasn’t me. I didn’t try to be a power guy, which I am not. I’m kind of a gap-to-gap guy. Just let that happen. Stay in the middle of the field and try to get the barrel to the ball and hits will come.”

The hits came in the Arizona Fall League, where Hicks hit .304/.396/.418/.780. He hit two home runs, drove in 11, walked six times while striking out seven and stole two bases in 46 at-bats. Small sample size, but against consistent plus pitching. Another good step in what has been a steady climb for Hicks, who will report to Peoria in February ready to compete.

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