2020 AL Rookie of the Year: Kyle Lewis, Luis Robert remain on top
By Matt Graves
Making a case for Kyle Lewis
There’s plenty of reasons why fans of the Mariners are optimistic about Kyle Lewis. He played at Mercer University, where he had a decorated college career. In three seasons as a Mercer Bear, he was named Baseball America’s College Player of the Year in 2016.
The Mariners would draft Lewis with the 11th pick of the 2016 MLB Draft. He wasn’t a mega prospect to be excited about, but there was something special Seattle’s newest prospect.
Even before he got the call to the majors, he ranked No. 10 on MLB’s prospects to watch before the 2019 season. The potential was there when Lewis had a strong minor league career. In four seasons, the Snellville, Georgia native rose through the minor league ranks with the slash line of .260/.334/.417/.751. He hit 30 home runs, 171 RBI in 287 games.
Lewis didn’t need to play Triple-A ball as the 25-year old made an impact with the Mariners in a brief September call up last season. Lewis’ historic September saw him blast home runs in his first three major league games. The right-hander became just the second player in major league history to accomplish the feat.
Kyle Lewis certainly knows how to make a first impression.
— Sporting News MLB (@sn_mlb) September 11, 2019
The Mariners prospect homers for his first hit in the majors to break up Trevor Bauer's no-hit bid. pic.twitter.com/qjL9gpNpMx
The promising star is proving that his incredible September call-up wasn’t a fluke, and the rest of the league is starting to notice. Lewis’ OPS is over 1.000, and his .456 on-base percentage leads the league. His .368 batting average is second in the AL. Lewis has seven homers, as many as Robert.
Lewis’s offensive contribution is excellent, but this stat line speaks for itself: Last week, the outfielder was named the AL Player of the Week. Lewis batted .522/.633/.957 and hitting safely in all seven games for the Mariners.
We know he can mash, but Kyle Lewis is pretty good in the outfield, too. pic.twitter.com/C8sjeclh3V
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 19, 2020
It’s safe to say that Lewis has given Seattle some life this season thanks to his bat and his incredible defense in center field. In the bigger picture, Lewis is the first piece of the Mariner’s youth movement. Jarred Kelenic awaits his major league debut, but he remains the team’s future star.