New Mariners DH Mitch Garver hopes ‘fans realize how good this team can be’

SEATTLE – Mitch Garver knew about his hitting “struggles” in the eight games he’s played at T-Mobile Park over his seven MLB seasons. And he was well aware the numbers – zero hits in 33 plate appearances with an RBI, two walks and eight strikeouts – were being mentioned on social media in the days after news broke that he’d reached an agreement with the Mariners on a two-year, $24 million contract.

But neither Garver nor the Mariners are concerned about the small sample size.

“It’s a place I have not hit well at, but I also attribute to the guys that I was facing there,” he said with a chuckle.

He listed off the Mariners starters, mentioning each one from last season.

“You are just like, ‘Oh my gosh,’ ” he said. “You know it’s going to be a series where you kind of have to scratch and claw for runs. So I’m excited to be on their team now.”

The Mariners are excited to have a projected middle-of-the-order hitter who can help take a little bit of pressure off Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh.

Garver, who turns 33 on Jan. 15, is coming off a solid season with the Rangers. In 87 games with Texas, he posted a .270/.370/.500 slash line with 11 doubles, 19 homers, 50 RBIs, 44 walks and 82 strikeouts. A mild left-knee sprain suffered in early April kept him on the injured list until June 2.

Per reports, Garver will receive a $2 million signing bonus and a $9.5 million salary this season and $11.5 million in 2025. There is also a $12 million mutual option for 2026.

“At the beginning of the free agency process, they were a team that seemed the most aggressive,” Garver said. “They were one of the early teams to call and the way they presented it and how they saw me as a player made me feel really valued. There were other teams that were kind of in the race toward the end. But it was the Mariners that put themselves forward and told me how much I would mean to the organization and they really liked the player that I am and the player I can be.”

While his primary position had been catcher since being selected by the Twins in the ninth round of the 2013 draft out of the University of Minnesota, the Mariners plan to use him as their designated hitter on most days.

With Cal Raleigh entrenched as the starting catcher and Garver battling injuries the past few seasons, Seattle believes a shift to a full-time DH role will keep him healthy and on the field. When he’s healthy enough to play, he’s been productive.

It’s a role that he transitioned to late last season for the Rangers. With Jonah Heim as the starting catcher, Garver appeared in 57 games as designated hitter.

“I kind of grew into that toward the end of the year,” he said. “Obviously, Jonah is the catcher that he is, and he was so talented, and he was able to play throughout the last two months almost every day. We kind of handed the reins over to him.”

But Rangers manager Bruce Bochy sold him on the idea of being the designated hitter.

“He mentioned how important it was for me to stay in the lineup and the way that I could contribute with the team was to be in the DH spot,” Garver said. “It’s not an easy position to do. I’ve learned a lot over the years, basically here and there. But when I got into a consistent routine on how to do it, I became a little bit better at it.”

Garver credited his time spent with Nelson Cruz in Minnesota as critical for understanding a role that lacks the game rhythm of playing in the field. Sitting and hitting isn’t for everyone.

“Nelson is probably one of the best teachers out there and being able to play alongside him and then on the other side of the field from him as well, I learned a lot from him,” Garver said.

While Garver isn’t likely to provide the power numbers that Cruz produced in his time with the Mariners, he believes his approach fits the Mariners needs.

“They want to reduce strikeouts, and I’m not saying I’m never going to strike out, but I think what I do as a player is control the strike zone,” he said. “I like to look for a pitch that I can hit hard. I usually don’t sacrifice and take weak contact just to put a ball in play. I’m not going to swing at something just to swing at it.”

It’s a mindset that was enhanced during his time in Texas. The Rangers offense prided itself on doing damage through hard contact.

“It seemed to fit in to my style,” he said. “I usually have a plan for every at-bat and I try to execute it to the best of my abilities. I’m a line drive hitter that can that can hit a few out of the park and I can move the ball around the field a little bit. I’m not a one dimensional hitter by any means.”

The Mariners need hitters of any dimension given the roster turnover and salary dumping that led to the departures of Teoscar Hernandez, Eugenio Suarez and Jarred Kelenic.

Even with payroll limitations set by ownership, the Mariners front office is expected to add at least one more position player – likely an outfielder – if not multiple players to fill out the roster in the coming weeks.

After seeing the Mariners multiple times in a season with the Rangers, Garver was optimistic about the team’s young core of players.

“I do hope that the fans realize how good this team can be,” he said. “The pitching staff itself is probably top five, top three in the league when you add in the bullpen and then the depth behind it. Young players are very exciting to be a part of and I think the city Seattle state of Washington has a lot to look forward to in this team. It is a tough division to play in and the travels tough, but this team seems to be consistently putting out good players and competitive games.”