Watch: Reigning AL POTW Polanco crushes two HRs

Will Jorge Polanco ever cool off?

The Seattle Marines slugger was at it again Tuesday night at T-Mobile Park against the Los Angeles Angels, clubbing two home runs in Seattle’s 5-3 victory to continue his torrid start to the season.

Key Seattle Mariners bat is late lineup scratch against Angels

Polanco started things off in the bottom of the second innings against Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz, yanking a sinker 395 feet with a 108.9 mph exit velocity into the stands in right field to put the Mariners up 3-0. Polanco’s first home run came after the M’s squandered a chance to put a crooked number up in the first with the bases loaded and no outs.

He did it again in the bottom of the seventh, this time a off Angels reliever Jose Fermin. Polanco got ahold of another sinker and crushed it 423 feet with a 108.1 mph exit velocity for a two-run home run and 5-1 lead.

It was almost a three-homer game, but Polanco’s shot to center field in the fifth was caught by leaping Angels center fielder Jo Adell at the wall.

Polanco now has nine home runs on the season, which is one shy of the MLB lead held by teammate Cal Raleigh and former Mariner Eugenio Suarez. Polanco also has five home runs over the past four games and two two-homer games in his past three. His nine home runs in April tied his career high for most in a month.

Polanco brought his team-leading RBI total up to 25 in just 21 games played. He had 16 home runs and 45 RBIs in 118 games last season.

Polanco is the reigning AL Player of the Week, the second straight Mariner to win the award (also Dylan Moore). Polanco hit .471 with a 1.844 OPS, two doubles, four home runs and eight RBIs in five games last week, which included a two-homer game Friday against Miami.

It’s been a huge turnaround season for the switch-hitting third baseman after his first year in Seattle was marred by struggles. He hit just .213 with a .651 OPS and had a career-worst 29.2% strikeout rate in 2024. The home runs on Tuesday brought Polanco’s average to .389 and OPS to 1.242, and he entered the game with a 12% strikeout rate.

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