How Jorge Polanco’s fixed knee resulted in important adjustment..
The Jorge Polanco wearing a Seattle Mariners uniform this season looks very different from the Jorge Polanco who wore a Seattle Mariners uniform last season.
And not just figuratively, but literally too.
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If you’re talking about the best hitters in baseball so far this season, Polanco is very much in the conversation. He took the most recent American League Player of the Week honors, then promptly hit two homers (and nearly a third) in his next game after winning the award.
It’s quite the development considering how much Polanco, who joined the M’s in a January 2024 trade that came with big expectations, struggled last season.
When the2024 season ended, we found out that Polanco had been hindered by a nagging left knee injury throughout the year, something he then addressed with surgery to repair his patellar tendon right after the 2024 campaign. And despite his troublesome first year with Seattle, he returned on a one-year contract in free agency with the hope that the knee issue was taken care of and he could play more like the hitter who crushed 33 home runs in 2021.
Clearly it has.
Polanco is slashing .384/.418/.808 for a ridiculous 1.226 OPS, and his nine home runs entering Thursday were just one short of the MLB lead shared by three players, including two familiar names in Seattle – Cal Raleigh and Eugenio Suárez. And while Suárez leads MLB in at-bats per home run at 10.5, that’s only because he has enough plate appearances (120) to qualify for the leaderboard since Polanco (80 plate appearances) is averaging just 8.11 at-bats per home run.
Oh, by the way, the reason that Polanco doesn’t have a qualifying amount of plate appearances is this year he’s been playing with a different injury: a sore oblique that’s limiting the switch-hitter to only swinging from the left side and keeping him from playing the field.
Back on solid ground
OK, if Polanco is doing all this while still dealing with some kind of injury, how bad was that knee?
Sizzling-hot Jorge Polanco is propelling resurgent M’s offense
As Mariners Hall of Famer and ROOT Sports analyst Jay Buhner explained Thursday, it doesn’t take much of a knee problem to have a significant impact on a hitter.
“His foundation, it’s all about your lower half,” Buhner said to Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk. “… When you don’t have your legs up underneath you, it’s hard as (heck) to hit, man. I mean, it is your balance. … If it’s your back leg and now you’re trying to drive off of it, I mean, it’s hard.”
Polanco has that back leg when hitting left-handed back underneath him now, and it’s resulted in an adjustment at the plate that has really paid off. And that’s where Polanco literally looks different.
On Wednesday’s edition of MLB Central on MLB Network, analyst and former big leaguer Mark DeRosa spotlighted Polanco’s hot start and a change he’s noticed with his batting stance.
A year ago, Polanco had a wide-open stance from the left side, possibly a result of discomfort with his knee. This year, his legs are almost even in his stance. And when you watch Polanco’s left-handed swing from last year side by side with it from this year, you can see how much smoother it’s going, particularly as he makes contact (and personally, I see a bit of Robinson Canó to Polanco’s 2025 swings, which is certainly not a bad thing).
DeRosa had a lot more to say about Polanco as he broke him down, which you can watch below in the attached video, which includes some interesting numbers that illustrate Polanco’s adjustments and how he ranks among the other hitters in MLB who are off to great starts.
The Mariners are off Thursday, then open a six-game road trip at 5:05 p.m. Friday against the Texas Rangers. Radio coverage on Seattle Sports will begin at 4 p.m. with the pregame show.
Padres Fans Blast $280 Million Veteran On Social Media..
an Diego Padres fans reached a breaking point Saturday night, and Xander Bogaerts was at the storm’s center. As another close loss left the Padres offense stranded, frustration erupted online—Bogaerts trended on X with an outpouring of criticism, blame, and outright hostility. The mood around Petco Park has gone from tense to toxic, and the backlash isn’t quieting down.
Bogaerts Becomes the Lightning Rod
The Padres’ 1-0 defeat on Friday and another 4-1 loss on Saturday to the Tampa Bay Rays wasn’t just another tally in the loss column—it was a public unraveling. Missed chances, weak at-bats, and a silent night at the plate turned the focus squarely on Bogaerts. Despite his honest postgame comments—where he confronted the team’s offensive failures and called for accountability—fans online weren’t interested in patience or perspective. On Saturday, they made their anger known in a relentless wave of tweets, memes, and hashtags targeting the veteran shortstop.
One fan compared Bogaerts’ situation to a former signing for the Padres, which is considered one of the worst in the team’s history. He wrote on X late Saturday: “Guys, Xander Bogaerts is going to be worse than Eric Hosmer’s situation. Way way worse.”
For Padres fans, the outrage isn’t new. This season’s narrative has been defined by “almosts” and missed opportunities. Bogaerts, a marquee signing from two years ago expected to help lift San Diego to contender status, has instead found himself a symbol of the team’s larger failures. The calls for change—from lineup shakeups to more drastic moves—grew louder as the offense stumbled again.
Another fan wrote on X: “I don’t usually say this about guys, but you probably have to eat the money and release Xander Bogaerts at this point. It is that bad. He will cost you 2-3 games a week.”
A Team Struggling for Answers—And a Scapegoat
In fairness, Bogaerts hasn’t shied away from responsibility. After Friday’s loss, he spoke candidly after the game. But his comments were meant to rally the team, but the honesty only seemed to fuel more heated debate among fans already on edge.
The outrage has a root: San Diego’s lineup, one of the most expensive and hyped in the league, is underperforming at nearly every level. Injuries, slumps, and sky-high expectations have turned the 2024 season into a referendum on everyone—from the front office to the dugout. But on social media, nuance dies quickly. Bogaerts, as a big-name veteran, has become the face of disappointment.
A Crossroads for the Club—and the Conversation
What comes next? History shows that social media rage can spill into the stands and the clubhouse. The Padres’ front office has some hard decisions—sticking with veterans through tough stretches or making bold changes to spark the club. Bogaerts’ leadership and willingness to speak up may help behind the scenes, but fans demanding instant results are unlikely to be swayed by postgame quotes.
Still, Bogaerts’ reflection after the loss offered a sliver of hope. He didn’t deflect. He owned the team’s struggles and asked for more from himself and his teammates. Anyone’s guess is whether it is enough to turn around the season or simply more fuel for the backlash.
For now, Padres fans are angry. The team is under the microscope and Xander Bogaerts finds himself in the crosshairs. The only thing that will quiet the noise? Wins—and for San Diego, those feel harder to come by every night.
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