After 79 stolen bases, how high is Clase's potential?
Daniel Kramer
@DKramer_GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Not since Minor League stats began tracking in 1961 had anyone accomplished what outfielder Jonatan Clase did last season in the Mariners¡¯ pipeline, when he crushed 20 homers and stole 79 bases.
Which begged the obvious question for the youngster with a fascinating power-speed combo: What¡¯s next?
During the bang-bang play, as the fielder corralled the ball and threw to third, he didn¡¯t see that Clase had already headed home and scored, leaving the third baseman holding the ball in defeat. Clase also ripped a single in the seventh and immediately stole second base.
¡°I think he¡¯s one guy that may be under the radar, that we're not valuing,¡± Mariners manager Scott Servais said. ¡°And I say this because at night I'm going through media guides and checking out things, and the year that Jonathan Clase had ¡ there have been a lot of Minor League players since 1961 [who haven't done that].¡±
Clase has long been touted as the fastest runner in Seattle¡¯s system, and last year he put even further backing to it when he went 79-for-94 in stolen base attempts between High-A Everett and Double-A Arkansas. It was perhaps the makings of Clase finally being consistently healthy after dealing with multiple injuries, albeit minor and more nagging, in recent years.
A dip in production after the promotion shows that he¡¯ll need to continue mastering Double-A and Arkansas¡¯ very pitcher-friendly ballpark, as his OPS dipped from 1.154 to .727 between the affiliates. Yet despite his 5-foot-8 frame, the power appears legitimate, leading to great intrigue on what his overall hit tool will look like when he¡¯s fully developed. Maintaining a sound approach and not selling out for power and getting away from his best abilities will also be vital, scouts have said.
¡°Any time you go out and steal over 70 bases in a season, you are going to have no fear out there,¡± Servais said. ¡°I was impressed by the way he swung the bat. Really good approach.¡±
Speed will always be Clase¡¯s calling card, and coupling those wheels with improved route running that should allow him to play center field in the Majors on days where Julio Rodr¨ªguez needs a blow.
His floor over the next 18-24 months might be in the neighborhood of Taylor Trammell, who hasn¡¯t yet found himself in the Majors but has shown flashes and who is looking to carve out a role this spring, given that he¡¯s out of Minor League options. And Clase¡¯s ceiling would be an everyday player who might sacrifice some batting average but make up for it by drawing walks and running into some power while playing good defense.
France¡¯s first impression
For someone who could benefit from a strong start more than any, Ty France looked like his trademark self when ripping a double in his first plate appearance then getting hit by a pitch in his next. He also put his trimmed-down physique on display when tagging up from second to third base on a flyout.
France said that he¡¯s felt the results from his work at Driveline as early as November, but this was obviously the first time he¡¯d seen so in a game.
¡°Today, it was just go out there and compete,¡± France said. ¡°And everything felt normal. I felt like I had been doing it for a while, so that's what I was hoping for.¡±
Taylor goes deep
Seattle¡¯s first homer of the season came in the seventh from newly acquired outfielder Samad Taylor, who also put his elite speed on display with a stolen base in the fourth, immediately after pinch-running for Jorge Polanco.
Taylor is on the outside looking in among a crowded outfield group for the Opening Day roster, but the tools he displayed on Saturday show why the Mariners traded for him last month and how he could be a solid bench piece at some point.