Matt Calkins: Leody Taveras, Rowdy Tellez, Logan Evans latest Mariners 'others' to key win

Matt Calkins, The Seattle Times on May 21, 2025

Published in Baseball

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

SEATTLE — Shaquille O’Neal likes to talk about the “others.” You’ll hear him reliving his NBA championship days on TNT, where Kobe Bryant will regularly get a mention. But the big fella always makes sure to mention the role players — the Derek Fishers or Robert Horrys or Rick Foxes of the world who truly made the difference in him hoisting a trophy.

Every successful team needs them, and the Seattle Mariners are no different.

You know about catcher Cal Raleigh and his 16 home runs that are tied for the American League lead. You know about Andrés Muñoz and his perfect ERA and 16 saves. JP Crawford has rediscovered the form that made him one of the most productive shortstops in baseball two years ago, Julio Rodriguez is creeping back toward an All-Star pace, and starting pitcher Bryan Woo is throwing like an ace.

But there are those others, too. That’s why Seattle (28-20) is sitting at the top of the AL West standings by 3.5 games. All the pieces matter, with Wednesday’s 6-5 win over the Chicago White Sox serving as Exhibit A.

Many of the usual suspects showed up in the box score in the Mariners’ victory — their fifth in their past six games. Julio socked a three-run homer, Raleigh hit a solo shot and Muñoz picked up the save. But the day’s hero was an outfielder who was released by the Texas Rangers earlier in the month.

With the M’s trailing 5-4 in the top of the eighth, Leody Taveras belted a two-run home run to right center after Rowdy Tellez had reached on a single. Had Taveras not come through with the big swing, the M’s may very well have lost their second consecutive game to a White Sox team that has the worst record in the AL. And Tellez played no small role. The first baseman certainly wasn’t considered a major acquisition for the Mariners in the offseason, but he has had key hits through the year — most notably a grand slam in an 8-4, 12-inning win over the Toronto Blue Jays last month.

Of course, the M’s likely also lose this game without a solid — not spectacular, but solid — outing from starting pitcher Logan Evans. Seattle’s rotation was supposed to be the strong point of this year’s squad. But injuries to Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and Bryce Miller have made them vulnerable on the mound, as the team sits 11th in MLB in ERA. In Evans’ five starts, though, he has posted a 3.33 ERA over 27 innings, helping to keep the M’s afloat.

Wednesday wasn’t his best performance, as he allowed four runs over six innings — including three home runs. He did, however, do just enough to give the M’s a chance — getting to the sixth inning so the bullpen pitchers could play their normal roles.

“That is my thing, just compete and give my guys a chance to win,” Evans said in response to a question about his two scoreless innings after a three-inning fourth. “I can’t change what happened. It was time for me to get back on the bump and go execute what I need to do to get outs, and then obviously let the bullpen takeover.”

So Wednesday it was Taveras, Tellez and Evans as the role players stepping up (with a nod to Casey Legumina and Carlos Vargas throwing scoreless innings as well.) But it has also been Dylan Moore, whose .850 OPS this season is .119 points higher than his career best. There is the aforementioned Legumina, who’s posted a 1.62 ERA over 17 innings. In his two previous seasons in Cincinnati, his ERA was 5.68 (2023) and 8.68 (2024). Randy Arozarena and Jorge Polanco have been All-Stars in years past, but their statistical upticks from last season to this season have a more-than-pleasant surprise.

One thing the Mariners have prided themselves in over the past few years has been health — something that has plagued them more this season than others in recent memory. There are Gilbert, Miller and Kirby on the pitching side, of course, but there was also Victor Robles on the offensive side.

This was a team that missed the playoffs by a game last season despite having most of their players ready to go throughout the schedule. And yet, despite that growing injured list, they are playing like one of the top teams in the league. Yes, the Mariners’ plus-27 run differential is relatively modest. But that also shows how vital the small contributions have been.

The Mariners have a long way to go to put together a complete season. So far, however, they’ve been winning as a complete team.

____