After struggling in the first few months of the season, forcing a deserved demotion to Class AAA Tacoma, Norichika Aoki is finally giving the Mariners the at-bats and offensive production they had hoped for when they signed him this offseason as a free agent.
Facing almost exclusively right-handed pitchers since being recalled from the Rainiers on July 20, Aoki is hitting .317 with a .364 on-base percentage, a .472 slugging percentage, 11 doubles, a triples, two homers, 11 RBI and 19 runs scored.
“He’s swung the bat very, very well,” Servais said. “We noticed the adjustments he made in his swings after the first time he came back from Tacoma.