harmony

Today the Seattle Mariners activated 3B Brendan Donovan from the 10-day injured list. https://www.mlb.com/mariners/roster/transactions

Let's revisit a February forum discussion after Tampa Bay second baseman Ben Williamson went 2-for-4 with a walk, two runs and one RBI in the Rays' win over the Red Sox on Thursday. At the time, the debate was whether a Boston package of Marcelo Mayer and Kyson Witherspoon was comparable to Seattle's trade of Williamson and Jurrangelo Cijntje for St. Louis infielder Brendan Donovan. Williamson and Mayer have each played 33 games this season, with Williamson posting 0.3 bWAR (0.1 fWAR) and an OPS+ 91 (92 wRC+) while Mayer has posted 0.2 bWAR (0.3 fWAR) and an OPS+ of 86 (81 wRC+). The small samples are not particularly significant but the numbers are generally in line with projections from multiple sources. FWIW, Cijntje has posted an ERA of 5.74 in six starts with Springfield of the Double A Texas League while Witherspoon has posted an ERA of 7.06 in six starts with Greenville of the High A South Atlantic League. Cijntje and Witherspoon were the No. 15 overall draft picks in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

An interesting comp for Marcelo Mayer might be Seattle second baseman Cole Young, who had 1,473 plate appearances at the minor league level. Injuries limited Mayer's plate appearances over five minor league seasons while Young, who is seven months younger than Mayer, played in only four seasons in the minors. Mayer and Young were first-round picks as lefthand-hitting shortstops out of high school in 2021 and 2022 although they are now starting second basemen for American League clubs expected to contend in 2026. Mayer made his MLB debut in May 2025 one week before Young made his MLB debut. Last year Mayer posted an OPS+ of 87 and 0.2 bWAR in 44 games before an injury ended his season while Young posted an OPS+ of 76 and 0.5 bWAR in 77 games. This year Mayer has posted an OPS+ of 97 and 0.2 bWAR in 27 games while Young has posted an OPS+ of 124 and 1.8 bWAR in 32 games. Young, who leads the league in Defensive Runs Saved, is on pace for an unlikely 9 bWAR season. Seattle shortstop J.P. Crawford is expected to test free agency after this season but Young is likely to remain at second base as top prospect Colt Emerson is projected to take over at shortstop in 2027.

As of Tuesday morning, Baseball Reference gave the Red Sox a 62.3 percent chance of advancing to the postseason, projecting the Sox in a Wild Card slot: https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/2026-playoff-odds.shtml

FWIW so far this season Ketel Marte has posted a .184/.262/.316/.578 in 42 plate appearances for an OPS+ of 62: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/marteke01.shtml It's early.

The Red Sox might be in contention come September.

The Red Sox should be in contention come September.

The Red Sox should be in contention come September.

Last year en route to 97 regular-season wins, a division title and a postseason series victory, the Milwaukee Brewers opened the season 0-4, being outscored 47-15 in those four games. https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MIL/2025-schedule-scores.shtml Despite the slow start, FanGraphs still gives the Red Sox a 47.8 percent chance of advancing to the postseason. https://www.fangraphs.com/standings/playoff-odds/fg/div It's early.

The Red Sox should be in contention come September.

It's early. Seattle cornerstones Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez and Josh Naylor are a combined 2-for-40 so far this season (as I write).

The radar gun for pitches has contributed to the problem by quantifying a trait that previously had been more aesthetic. To their detriment, too many young pitchers aim for the higher numbers on the radar gun.

It's not so much about pitch count. Starting pitchers historically went deep into games until statistical analyses showed that a fresh relief pitcher is generally more effective than a starter pitching a third or fourth time through the opponent's lineup. The statistical edge reportedly continues to hold although fans will offer anecdotal evidence to the contrary. One cost of the transition is that the bullpen now requires more roster slots to cover the additional workload.

Guess who gave the Red Sox offseason an A?

Red Sox left-hander Payton Tolle was listed on "MLB rookies to watch this spring: 20 players poised make an impact in 2026" at The Athletic: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7052989/2026/02/19/mlb-rookies-to-watch-2026-jim-bowden/?campaign=16965663&source=athletic_targeted_email&userId=1096049 Subscription required.