Mariners notebook: Lewis chosen as Seattle’s top prospect

Published 5:25 pm Wednesday, November 30, 2016

SEATTLE — Outfielder Kyle Lewis made quite an impression last season in 30 games at Short-A Everett prior to suffering a major knee injury that will likely sideline him until the middle of next season.

Lewis, 21, was cited Wednesday as the Mariners’ top prospect in rankings compiled by Baseball America.

“Lewis is an offense-first center fielder with plus power to all fields,” the magazine raved, “and (possesses) a patient approach that allows him to control the strike zone and punish mistakes.

“He has some swing-and-miss to his game, like most power hitters, but he has enough feel for the barrel and understanding of what to do at the plate that he still is regarded as an solid-average hitter.”

Baseball America ranked outfielder Tyler O’Neill at No. 2 on its list of the organization’s top prospects, followed by left-hander Luiz Gohara, right-hander Nick Neidert and just-acquired outfielder Mitch Haniger.

The rest of the top 10: right-hander Andrew Moore, shortstop Drew Jackson, just-acquired righty Max Povse, right-handed reliever Dan Altavilla and first baseman Dan Vogelbach.

To qualify, a player must retain rookie status entering next season. Altavilla and Vogelbach closed last season in the big leagues. Both players, along with Haniger, are likely candidates to break camp next season with the Mariners.

O’Neill and Moore project to open next season at Triple-A Tacoma. Povse is also a candidate to begin the season with the Rainiers, although he is more likely to start at Double-A Arkansas.

Several trades in recent weeks caused a late reassessment to the rankings.

The Mariners selected Lewis with the 11th overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft after he was acclaimed as the consensus college player of the year. He batted .299 in 30 games at Everett with 16 extra-base hits and 26 RBIs.

Lewis also had a .385 on-base percentage and a .530 slugging percentage before suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in a collision at home plate. He also tore the medial and lateral meniscus.

He isn’t expected to resume baseball activities until April, and it’s unlikely he will return to game action until June. Once healthy, he projects to begin at Lo-A Clinton.

“There is concern about how his knee injury will affect his power base and already suspect speed,” Baseball America noted, “but Lewis is a hard worker who plays the game with passion and a big smile.

“There is little doubt among observers Lewis will put in the work to get back to the diamond as quickly and strongly as possible.”

O’Neill among fall stars

O’Neill was also ranked by Baseball America as the No. 15 prospect in the just-completed Arizona Fall League. He batted .292 in 19 games for Peoria with three homers and 14 RBIs. He also had 14 walks for a .395 OBP.

“With an upper torso like an Olympic weightlifter,” the magazine noted, “the native of Canada has good bat speed and flashes “no doubt” power. O’Neill should continue to hit despite some swing-and-miss to his game.

“He’s a “bat first” guy, but his outfield defense grades as at least average and he has an above-average arm.”

O’Neill, 21, was previously picked by the Mariners as their minor-league hitter of the year after batting .293 with 24 homers and 102 RBIs in 130 games at Double-A Jackson.

Regarding Edgar

New Arizona manager Torey Lovullo spent just one season with the Mariners — the strike-shortened 1994 season — but that was sufficient for him to develop a deep appreciation for Edgar Martinez’s skills.

Speaking Wednesday on “MLB on TuneIn LIVE” with Holden Kushner and LaTroy Hawkins, Lovullo offered a ringing endorsement for Martinez as a Hall of Fame candidate.

“First of all, I believe he’s a Hall of Famer,” Lovullo said. “I think he’s the best right-handed hitter that I have ever played with or really seen to this day. There’s some very capable right-handed hitters in this game today, but Edgar’s ability to make adjustments from pitch-to-pitch, from at bat-to-at bat, from game-to-game, was as good as anybody I’ve ever seen.”

Martinez concluded his 18-year playing career in 2004 and currently serves as the Mariners’ hitting coach. He is one of 34 candidates this month on the Hall of Fame ballot.

“Some of the things that he would work on in practice would just kind of leave me shaking my head,” said Lovullo, whose eight-year playing career ended in 1999.

“Trying to get his stride direction a quarter-of-an-inch straighter toward the pitcher instead of diving into the plate. His hand position and his bat path he would work on consistently.

“How pitchers were working him, he would go up to the plate and say, `I’m going to hit this fastball that he’s gonna throw me on the inside plate down the right field line for a double, and he’s go out and do it.

“It was almost unbelievable how easy hitting was to him. I knew from my situation that I was a guy that had trouble hitting, period. And when that was happening and then Edgar can make it look so easy, like he’s playing Wiffle Ball in the backyard with his brothers, it left me shaking my head.”

Cruz is runner-up

Nelson Cruz finished second in the balloting for the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter of the Year award. The runaway winner was Boston’s David Ortiz, who won the award for the eighth time in his career.

Martinez won the award five times in his career, and it was renamed in his honor in 2004.