The thorn in Mariners’ side all weekend is a local product

The Seattle Mariners saw their streak of nine consecutive series wins ended this weekend, and no one played a bigger part in that than Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Addison Barger.

Takeaways from Mariners’ from series loss to Toronto

It should end up being a series that Barger looks back at fondly, especially if it proves to be the start of a breakout for the former sixth-round MLB Draft pick.

The 26-year-old Barger was born in Bellevue and grew up going to Mariners games. Maybe that’s why he seems so comfortable in the batter’s box at T-Mobile Park, because he had a huge weekend in the Blue Jays’ surprising sweep of the AL West-leading Mariners (22-17), which brought Toronto to an even 20-20 on the season.

Playing at the hot corner all three games, Barger went a combined 6 for 13 with three doubles, a home run, a walk, four runs scored and five RBIs. It was the best he’s looked all season for the Jays, and right up with the best stretch of games he’s had in the big leagues since he was first called up early last season.

Addison Barger has FIVE hits this series.

They've ALL been hit over 107 MPH 💣 pic.twitter.com/TPRI2Efz1e

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) May 11, 2025

Barger’s big weekend wasn’t limited to what he did at the plate, either.

He made a pair of great plays in the field on Friday, robbing Julio Rodríguez of possible extra bases, and showing off a cannon of an arm with a throw of almost 95 mph across the diamond to retire Dylan Moore. Only Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz has made a harder throw in the infield in 2025.

It’s fitting that Barger had such a momentous weekend in Seattle, just miles from where he grew up – with a baseball diamond in his family’s Bellevue backyard, preparing for moments like this.

“It was primitive, but I grew up with that, so I was on the field a lot more than I was in the classroom,” said Barger, who was homeschooled in Washington (he eventually attended high school in Florida), to Ben Steiner for an MILB.com article in 2022. “It was all baseball all the time since I was five or six years old; I would be playing out there for five or so hours a day.”

Barger made his MLB debut last year with the Blue Jays in April 2024, but his first trip to Seattle as a major leaguer didn’t go so well. He went 0 for 3 on July 5, 2024 as the Mariners won a series opener 2-1 at T-Mobile Park, then was optioned to Triple-A the next day.

This trip, however, may stand out as where Barger established himself as a key piece for the Jays. He’s getting a real chance as a regular for the Blue Jays with second baseman Andrés Giménez on the injured list (Ernie Clement has shifted from third to second), and he provides Toronto with valuable versatility as he can also play in the outfield.

Though Barger struggled at the plate in 69 games as a rookie last season (.197 average, .601 OPS), he was a contributor with 0.4 fWAR on the season. And he’s trending up this year with a .241 average, .712 OPS and 0.5 fWAR already in just 19 games.

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