Why James Jones Matters

If you are a Mariners fan, anything like me, you probably lost confidence in the word prospect. After seeing countless Mariners minor leaguers hailed as the next big thing, only to fail in the majors, you've given up hope. You probably roll your eyes and make some sarcastic comment about how they will just fail anyways. Prospect are something for those other clubs, like the ones in Tampa or Oakland. Here in Seattle we rely on mediocre veteran role players for our 70 wins a year.

Well if you are like me, you need to open your eyes to Mariners rookie outfielder James Jones. He is currently batting .286/.351/.400. He came out of the gate like a bat outta hell and he has slowed down since then. Even so he has provided something we haven't seen in Seattle in a while. A confident, fun to watch rookie who is actually having success. Instead of looking scared or over-matched at the plate or in the field, Jones looks like he belongs. I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, but if Jones can keep it up even a little (say .275/.330/.400) he might be able to restore at least some of my faith in prospects.

So, let's not judge him early or look for weakness. Let's just settle in and enjoy the ride. Be thankful that the baseball gods are giving us at least a few months to watch a young player succeed.