How Mariners 2B Ryan Bliss aims to improve in second season

Ryan Bliss is off and running as the strong side of a Seattle Mariners platoon at second base, and he’s serious about making an impact in his first full season in the big leagues.

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The 25-year-old Bliss debuted with the M’s in 2024, appearing in 33 games while spending the majority of the year with Triple-A Tacoma. And he had his moments, including a pair of homers and a June game where he logged his first MLB hit, drew a pair of walks, stole two bases and scored three runs to help the M’s beat the Angels.

When the season was over, though, there was a clear area he needed to work on.

“(Playing in the big leagues in 2024) allowed me this offseason to really go in and fix what I needed to fix,” Bliss told Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob. “It’s no secret – I mean, everybody knew that I was getting exposed by the fastball. So my whole offseason was, hey, what adjustments do I need to make to be able to handle the fastball?

“I’m not saying I gotta hit it every time, but at least handle it to where I can pull something or get my pitch the next pitch or something. So I just went really hard this offseason on making adjustments to hit the fastball.”

Bliss has started the season 1 for 9 at the plate, but he’s also taken a pair of walks to three strikeouts. There’s hope he can continue to make strides with the bat, especially after a strong spring training where he hit .308 with four doubles and a triple in 39 at-bats.

Bliss called his time up with the Mariners in 2024 a “blessing,” giving him some experience playing every day as well as a bench player.

“I was able to see a bunch of different sides of the game,” he said.

One thing he’s looking to provide the Mariners is the ability to be a spark plug, as he mentioned he’s focusing on hitting the ball lower in order to make things happen.

“We play at a park that’s, as people say, not so much of a hitter’s park,” Bliss said of Seattle’s T-Mobile Park. “So my game is to get on base and run, so I’ve been working on that this offseason. It paid off in spring so hope we keep it going.”

And when Bliss gets on base, he’s always ready to run. He has two stolen bases already this season, and both times the throw to second base went into center field, allowing him to take third, too.

That’s Bliss’ favorite part of the game.

“I really love stealing a bag. There’s not a better feeling knowing you just took an extra 90 (feet) without a hit, without a passed ball,” he said. “Like, you did that. You took that extra 90. That’s always a good feeling when you hear the umpire say safe and you got an extra 90.

“Usually when you get an extra 90, you’re getting in scoring position too, so it helps the team win and that’s a really good feeling being able to take a bag when (there’s) not a ball put in play.”

Hear the full Wyman and Bob conversation with Seattle Mariners second baseman Ryan Bliss in the podcast at this link or in the player near the top of this post. Catch Wyman and Bob from 2-7 p.m. weekdays on Seattle Sports.

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