The Mariners should continue to serve bunt

Seattle’s aggressive use of the bunt (for hit) was a highly effective offensive strategy.

While they were crushingly deficient for much of the season, the 2024 Seattle Mariners excelled in one particular offensive area that the club has long neglected: bunting. From 2016-2023, the Mariners were among the league’s least-effective bunting clubs, boasting a 119 wRC+ in 313 plate appearances where they got a bunt down, 25th in the league among non-pitchers over that time. 2024 told a different tale, however. From the pictured surprise bunt threat Luke Raley to the Robin Hood-like brilliance of Victor Robles, the M’s were one of the league’s most effective bunters, and in so doing opened up an avenue of offensive opportunity in the league’s most stifling scoring environment.

The venerable bunt was an early target of analytically-minded writers and analysts, as teams were frequently giving away outs too cheaply on sacrifice bunts, a stance that remains true in my eyes and those of many. Particularly in an era of pitching that is so devastating and strikeout-heavy, moving a runner up is a limited situational strategy with occasional but narrow utility. What is worthwhile, however, is the mighty bunt for hit attempt, as Raley and Robles championed in Seattle.

Both players were within the top 10 leaguewide in at-bats with a successful bunt attempt (9th and 4th respectively). They led the M’s to a tie for 3rd-most hits on bunts on the year at 22, despite just 35 at-bats and 49 plate appearances, and a 255 wRC+ on them overall that was both 7th-best in MLB and well above the sport’s 165 wRC+ average on bunts. Those attempt totals are still near the upper level of the league, but trail well behind clubs like the Nationals, Brewers, and Diamondbacks who more frequently utilized sacrifices in addition to hit attempts. While the Nats and Brew Crew got 25 and 24 bunt hits on the year, it took them 57 and 51 at-bats respectively (83 and 66 plate appearances).

Seattle saw several other players utilize this to great success. Jorge Polanco (4), Ryan Bliss (1), and Samad Taylor (1) were all perfect on bunt for hit attempts, with Bliss also laying down a couple sacrifices. Leo Rivas and J.P. Crawford laid down some successful dribblers for their part as well. These extra singles are particularly valuable for Seattle, whose home ballpark is inherently oppressive to hitters whose skillset is based on splashing balls to the gaps. With the new rules restoring greater balance to the sport in terms of stolen bases being viable, speedsters like Robles have a niche more worthy of exploitation if they can simply reach first more frequently.

Big picture, this can be a compounding success as well: a team with several speedy, skilled baserunners benefits more from each additional ball in play than a club with plodding sluggers. When Seattle hits the field in Arizona this spring, I expect they will make a point of emphasis to build on this strength.