On the surface, the Mariners’ interest in Akiyama is a bit odd. His age doesn’t seem to fit in with a rebuilding timeline and he plays the one position where the Mariners actually have stacked some pretty quality depth at the big league level.
But Akiyama may be better than most of those players and can still help the team reach their 2021 contention goal. You see, over the past 4 seasons, Shogo Akiyama has averaged 143 games played, 20 home runs and at least 171 hits, 31 doubles, and 72 walks in each season.
He also plays a nice centerfield, garnering 55-grade defense, though a move to corner spot is highly likely in the near future.