Dan Wilson had positive words when discussing the early showings of left-handed pitcher Kade Anderson and outfielder Lazaro Montes.
SEATTLE — Every game from now until the end of the regular season Sept. 27 matters for the Seattle Mariners.
An hour before the first of a four-game series against the Athletics on Thursday at T-Mobile Park, the Mariners were 5.5 games out of first place in the American League West and four games out of the final wild card spot in the American League.
At this stage of the season with those respective hills to climb, every game is must-win for Seattle. And two intriguing rookies will be a part of these crucial contests.
Respective top 100 prospects, left-handed starting pitcher Kade Anderson (No. 5 MLB Pipeline) and outfielder Lazaro Montes (No. 56 MLB Pipeline) have both made an impact in their brief stints in the majors.
Anderson crossed off his first road start in Seattle's most recent series win against the Boston Red Sox. He finished with three strikeouts, three walks and two earned runs allowed on three hits in 4.1 innings pitched. Through two big league outings, the former NCAA College World Series Most Outstanding Player has a 4.50 ERA and has fanned eight hitters in 10 innings of work.
"I don't know if there was much of a transition for him," M's manager Dan Wilson said in a pregame interview Thursday. "It really seems from day one that he's just been pretty comfortable in that role. I think he's a guy that's really prepared for a long time for these moments. ... I think he's settled in very quickly."
Montes has only one game of playing experience for Seattle thus far. He was officially called up Sept. 1 when major league rosters expanded league-wide from 26 to 28 players. He made an amazing first impression and went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs in his debut.
Montes will be in the lineup for the Mariners in Thursday's series-opener against the Athletics. He'll bat seventh and play in right field. It will be his first time playing home at T-Mobile Park and first time playing the outfield in the big leagues.
In addition to his "light tower power," Montes also has an infectious personality which can do the clubhouse well during what will likely be a tense final three weeks of the regular season.
"(The) energy and that joy, it brings so much," Wilson said. "Jhonny Pereda brings that as well, (Victor Robles) brings that. ... (Julio Rodriguez), when he's Julio, that's what we see from him, too. That's what's amazing. It's what lifts everybody. Having more of that is important and this is the time of year (where) it does pick you up and keeps the energy alive."
