Victoria, B.C.'s Michael Saunders is featured on Jays Vision during eighth inning action September 25th at Rogers Centre. He would go 0-for-3 against Roy Halladay on the evening by striking out.
Saunders bats against the Jays Casey Janssen in the seventh inning September 26th. He would ground out in this at-bat but he reached base on a Vernon Wells error in the eighth inning to load up the bases. However, Saunders and company were prevented from touching home plate by Brandon League who induced an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play ball. The Mariners would go on to lose 5-4 to Toronto in 10 innings.
The 23 year-old Saunders is looking to gain full-time employment with the Mariners in 2010. He made his major league debut July 25th last season and collected his first hit against Cleveland lefty (and hopefully future teammate) Cliff Lee the following day as he picked up two singles in four at-bats. His next two hits came against the Blue Jays during their visit to Safeco Field. Saunders would get his average as high as .283 in early August but he wound up the year with a batting line of .221/.258/.279 with no homers and four RBI. He stole four bases in five attempts with Seattle but he will need to make more contact and draw more walks as evidence by a strikeout-walk total of 40-6 in 129 plate appearances.
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound left-handed hitting outfielder was drafted by Seattle in the 11th round of the 2004 amateur draft from, ironically enough, the Victoria Mariners of the B.C. Premier League. Saunders held his own in his first season in the minors by batting .270 with Rookie-level Everett in 2005 with seven homers and 37 runs batted in. However, he struggled with Single-A Wisconsin the following year by batting just .240 and slugging .345. The one positive came in the stolen base department as he pilfered 22 bases in 29 tries.
The hitting haven of Single-A High Desert helped revive Saunders' bat in 2007 when he hit .299/.392/.473 with 25 doubles, four triples, 14 homers and 77 RBI while stealing 27 bases. He also got his first taste of Double-A ball at West Tennessee later in the year and batted .288 in 15 contests. He would resume playing at West Tenn to begin 2008 and put up solid numbers across the board by hitting .290/.375/.484 with 18 doubles, three triples, 13 homers and 30 RBI along with 11 steals. Saunders was then bumped up to Triple-A Tacoma where he hit just .242 in 24 games but also managed four doubles, a triple, three homers and 16 RBI to bring his slugging percentage to an even .400. In between, Saunders was a member of the Canadian Olympic team in Seoul, Korea and went 8-for-28 with two homers and four RBI but Canada wound up finishing in sixth place.
Saunders was able to adapt to Pacific Coast League pitching in his second go-around with the Rainiers in 2009 as he overcame an early shoulder injury to bat .310/.378/.544 with 15 doubles, two triples, 13 homers and 32 RBI prior to his recall to Seattle.
Baseball America rates Saunders as the Mariners #2 prospect heading into the season behind infielder/outfielder Dustin Ackley, the number two selection in the 2009 amateur draft. This is the scouting report BA filed on Saunders in its latest issue.
Background: After recovering from arthroscopic shoulder surgery in the offseason, Saunders joined Triple-A Tacoma in late April and turned in his finest pro season. Seattle rewarded him with a callup in late July, and he faced lefties in five of his first six starts and Roy Halladay in the other. Not coincidentally, he got off to a 4-for-27 (.148) start.
Strengths: Saunders exhibits all five tools, scoring average marks across the board. He has quality bat speed and can pull the ball for power, though he didn't homer in 46 big league games. He can bunt for hits, controls the strike zone and hits offspeed pitches to left field, showing the ingredients necessary to hit for average. He runs well and has more than enough range and arm strength to handle a corner outfield post.
Weaknesses: Because he works deep counts, Saunders likely will continue to strike out at a healthy pace. The Mariners sat Saunders down for a stretch in September to address mechanical issues in his swing. Hitting coach Alan Cockrell helped him create more leverage and power in his stroke by incorporating his legs more efficiently. Gauging by how well Saunders hit in the Venezuelan League this winter, the lesson seemed to take.
The Future: Saunders' steady development underscores his aptitude and dedication to his craft. He should be the Mariners' regular left fielder for 2010 and beyond.
Saunders will be up against plenty of competition for a starting role in the outfield as the Mariners traded for ex-Cub Milton Bradley while also coming to terms with former Diamondback Eric Byrnes and holdover Ryan Langerhans on one-year deals. He may have to start the 2010 season in Tacoma again but given Bradley's injury history and Byrnes' decline, Saunders is just a phone call away from returning to Safeco Field.
