Going into this season, most thought the Mariners’ outfield was pretty set: Jarrod Dyson in left field, Leonys Martin in center, and Mitch Haniger in right field. Meanwhile, Guillermo Heredia likely had the fourth outfielder spot sewn up, while one Benjamin Gamel would be excellent depth down in Tacoma.
But then...
Gamel kept impressing everyone in the spring...
And after ineffectiveness from Martin and a Haniger injury, along with a solid performance in AAA, Gamel was up for good.
Expectations weren’t set very high - after all, we’re talking about a player who couldn’t crack the Opening Day roster - so it’s not that much of a surprise that he’s exceeded them.