Mariners notebook: A new addition to the big league clubhouse

PEORIA, Ariz. – An interesting addition to the Mariners clubhouse bulletin board popped up Thursday morning: A PTPA tracking sheet. PTPAs, or Productive Team Plate Appearances, were tracked and posted in the minor leagues last year. It is a tool to help measure and forward the organization’s offensive philosophy that what they want from their hitters goes well beyond what is measured by the conventional, individual numbers that are displayed on big boards in stadiums and on the backs of baseball cards.

A batter gets PTPA points by doing any of eight different things at the plate that can ultimately help his team. Hits, walks, hit by pitches, sacrifices, advancing runners and even an at-bat of eight or more pitches that results in an out all gain points for the batter. In the minors, the scores were posted and there was a bracket style tournament that involved every hitter that took place late in the year. On the Major League side, you didn’t see the charts and you didn’t hear the language, although Nelson Cruz is well versed in it as it was something he learned in the Rangers organization. Now the chart is posted in the clubhouse, and it was interesting to see if some of those numbers change.

Broadcast schedule: Mariners playing in World Baseball Classic

For those getting at least semi-regular at-bats, Boog Powell is at the top of the list in PTPA percentage, followed by Guillermo Heredia and Shawn O’Malley. Your middle of the order follows next with Kyle Seager, Nelson Cruz and Robinson Cano at 4-5-6, and then Mike Zunino and Daniel Vogelbach not far behind.

Right now, most of the scores are hit- and walk-based. It will be interesting to see what happens with more plate appearances, who will stand out in advancing runners or longer at-bats, and what players with different roles do and what changes.

Lineup!

Guillermo Heredia, LF
Leonys Martin, CF
Mitch Haniger, RF
Danny Valencia, 1B
Mike Zunino, C
Taylor Motter, 3B
D.J. Peterson, DH
Tyler Smith, 2B
Shawn O’Malley, SS

James Paxton, LHP

Miranda, the reliever

Manager Scott Servais was interested to see if Ariel Miranda would approach his one inning following Hisashi Iwakuma on Wednesday night as a reliever. It appears he did, throwing a 1-2-3, two-strikeout inning with good velocity.

“He did,” said Servais. “He was a little different animal last night. He knew he was only going to go one inning and he came out and it was hands down the best I have seen him probably since we got him in just pure stuff. He threw a few breaking balls, he wasn’t feeling for it, he was just letting it fly. He’s battling, he wants to make this team, he doesn’t want to go back to the minor leagues. Competition is great. It usually brings the best out of people and I think we saw it last night.”

Miranda, who will start in his next outing, could fit into the Mariners’ plans as an MLB reliever or a Triple-A starter in Tacoma who can be ready when the Mariners need him. A question that will need to be answered is what would help the big league team the most out of the gates – having Miranda stretched out and ready if needed, or available every night in the pen. If they are comfortable with their starter depth, the answer could be easy.

“What I saw last night, he certainly could help us in the bullpen,” Servais said.

Note

• Drew Smyly was scheduled to throw a 20-pitch sim game Thursday before leaving to join Team USA for the World Baseball Classic.