Why Mitch Garver feels ‘a lot better’ entering Year 2 with Mariners

Mar 1, 2025, 11:44 PM | Updated: Mar 2, 2025, 10:06 am

Mariners Insider, Seattle Sports

There is a different ease about Mitch Garver in the Seattle Mariners’ clubhouse this spring than there was a year ago, and that likely has much to do with the offseason he was able to both utilize and enjoy.

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A year ago, as a free agent for the first time, he was coming off a winter of uncertainty over where he and his growing family would be for spring training and the regular season. He was a late-ish sign, with his two-year deal finalized on Dec. 28, and with his second child born just hours after he passed his physical and put ink to paper in Seattle.

This offseason, much quieter.

“Things slowed down,” Garver said while sitting at his locker on a recent morning. “Right when we got home, we got settled in, and then it seemed like the whole offseason just flowed together really nicely. The boys got on a schedule, both sleeping and eating. And it was just a more consistent, sane lifestyle. It was nice.”

The human side of transactions. It is different for every player, but the adjustments are very real and they come at players and families fast, with spring turning into the regular season and home turning into road in just a matter of days.

“It takes more than spring training,” Garver said. “It takes more than a year. My wife will say the same thing too. She’s way more comfortable being here now. She has friends on this team. The kids have friends on this team. It’s just nice to come back and see everybody’s face again.

“The same thing kind of happened to me in my first year in Texas. Like, the first year went by so fast, and yes, it was crazy because I was injured and I had elbow surgery during that year. But to come back (the) second year and see a lot of the same faces (and) know how that organization was run, it just felt way, way more comfortable.”

None of this was offered as an excuse for his performance on the field in 2024. Reflecting on and dissecting a year that did not go as expected was also part of his fall. Garver had felt ready to bring his bat and experience to a team that needed both to get over that hump of not just making the postseason, but making a good run once in. He had been there before and was confident he could put on the new jersey and contribute.

What ensued was a nightmare year at the plate, and he needed to get to the whys.

“It was a poor year, and I think that happens in this sport, but I realized I needed to work on a few things,” Garver said. “I definitely needed to tune a few mechanical things, but I wanted to get stronger. I wanted to get bigger and more physical.”

Heading into his age-34 season, Garver realized it was time to move on from his past offseason workouts.

“I think us as baseball players, we get into this rhythm,” Garver said. “As you get older, you feel like you need to take it easier on workouts and focus more on recovery or focus more on sleep or whatever it may be, but there’s actually been quite a few studies that show like once you turn 30, because the way your body decreases, you need to train heavier and harder and be more physical.

“So I took that and I trained hard, but I trained smart and really focused on my body and my mental skills this offseason, and just came in feeling a lot better this year than I did last year.”

Garver trained with other big leaguers at a facility near his home in Colorado. He also consulted with teammate Mitch Haniger, who has been up on all that is cutting edge in training and nutrition during his time with the Mariners.

“Mitch was a good resource for me too, because he kind of went into the offseason in the mind frame that I did: ‘We need to come back and we need to be better. We need to be more physical. Career’s not over. There’s a lot more to give,'” Garver said.

“We both kind of went into the offseason with a chip on our shoulder, and I think he trained his butt off too.”

In addition to feeling better about where he is physically, Garver likely has some peace of mind when it comes to his role.

Yes, it is not full-time like it was a year ago, but a year ago this time, catching was not to be part of his role. Seby Zavala was the backup catcher. Determined not to put away the gear, Garver caught bullpens in spring training and during the season, and eventually was allowed to get behind the plate in games. This spring, he once again is a catcher.

“I’m a firm believer that I’m a better player when I catch,” Garver said. “I think that’s who I am as a player. I’ve done it my whole life and I think I bring a lot to the pitching staff as a catcher. I may not grade out as the best defensive catcher in the league, but I have knowledge of the game. I know how to how to handle pressure situations and I can control a pitching staff.”

The opportunity to see second-year bouncebacks has been scarce in recent years, with the Mariners moving on from most first-year, outside-the-organization acquisition flops.

With all of the first-year adjustments behind him both on and off the field, a productive offseason, and a role he embraces – “I plan to be the backup catcher,” he said – Garver appears to be in a good place to take a second shot at having the impact he hoped to have in his first season with the Mariners, a team he believes can also take a step forward.

“I think with the players coming back and the coaching staff we have, it’s a fresh look at a different team,” Garver said. “Obviously the pitching is going to be great, but we can’t (only) ride that, and I think we have a complete offense. The additions that we’ve added on the coaching side seem to be paying off early in spring.

“Guys are buying into it and I think we will have a more well-rounded team this year.”