Mariners notebook: Ketel Marte adjusting to leadoff role

ARLINGTON, Texas – Ketel Marte continues to impress. We have yet to see a major stumble from him, and at 183 plate appearances the scouting reports are out. If big league pitchers are making adjustments to what they see in him and his swings, he’s keeping up. It has been impressive to watch.

Marte is not just surviving at the big league level, he appears to be improving and improving in a tough position. As the leadoff hitter he doesn’t have the luxury of seeing even a few pitches from the starters before he steps into the box. On most nights he is still getting first looks at pitchers and he is getting those looks in a role that he doesn’t have a ton of experience at. While he may look like a natural at the top of the order, he has spent the majority of his minor league career batting second or third.

“I am learning about being the leadoff hitter,” he told me in our interview for the pregame show. “I’m a little fast, so I need to be the leadoff hitter. I think I can be a leadoff hitter at this level. It’s a little bit hard but it’s my work.”

The new role requires a new approach, and with help from hitting coach Edgar Martinez, Marte is making the adjustment.

“When I was hitting second it was just first-pitch swinging, every time,” he said. “Now, if you are leadoff you have got to get some pitches. You have to know who is coming up behind you. I have got (Kyle) Seager, Cruzy [Nelson Cruz] and (Robinson) Cano. I think it is a little bit hard but I am trying to make adjustments. I think I will be good.”

The new result has led to what for Marte was an unexpected result. In 261 plate appearances in Tacoma this year, Marte had just 20 walks. In 183 plate appearances in the big leagues he has 18 walks. His .359 on base percentage is the fourth best among rookies this year.

“When you are trying to have a good at-bat, get some pitches, yeah, you are going to have a lot of walks,” he said. “When I was batting second, just swing at first pitch a lot of time, that’s why I didn’t have many walks. I look at that now and go, ‘What was I doing in Tacoma?'”

The focus now is on what he is doing in Seattle. The start to his big league career has been good and can get better. One thing we haven’t seen much yet is Marte utilizing his speed to get on base.

“I would still like to see him harness the art of bunting a little bit more. He works on it, but you have to have confidence to do it in a game and he hasn’t done it,” manager Lloyd McClendon said.

While he believes it is a tool Marte will be able to use, he will not force the issue.

“It’s hard for me as a manager to put on a sign for a bunt for a hit,” McClendon explained. “That’s an instinctive thing where you have to see what the fielders are doing, whether or not they are paying attention to you. For me to try to put on a sign to bunt for a hit, then I am thinking for the player and I can’t do that. He’s got to think for himself out there. He’ll get better at it as he gets more and more comfortable.”

Marte himself says he is comfortable, but I think there is little question his game will continue to grow. It has been fun to watch and, more importantly, Marte appears to have answered some big questions for the Mariners heading into the offseason.

Lineup!

Ketel Marte, SS
Kyle Seager, 3B
Nelson Cruz, DH
Robinson Cano, 2B
Franklin Gutierrez, LF
Mark Trumbo, RF
Jesus Montero, 1B
Shawn O’Malley, CF
John Hicks, C

Vidal Nuno, LHP

Notes

• Credit where credit is due – the bullpen has made a remarkable turnaround. They are currently on a 21 1/3 inning scoreless streak, the eighth longest streak in club history. In the month of September the have the lowest ERA in baseball at 1.33. The entire pitching staff’s 2.63 ERA is also the lowest in the Majors for the month.

• Speaking of streaks, the Mariners have won six straight road games. They have not won seven straight since 2003. The M’s are just one of eight teams with a winning road record this year, and over the last two years have the second best road record in the Majors.

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