Jorge Polanco had a spectacular opening night, what looks different in the batters box?
Jorge Polanco changed a few things in the batters box. Let's analyze.
Jorge Polanco returned to Seattle on a one year deal to play third base during the 2025 offseason. This came after an abysmal 2024 season tarnished by injuries and a poor performance at the plate.
Opening Day 2025 looked significantly different for Polanco in more than one way. Performance, for starters — Polanco went 3-3 with two hard-hit singles and a game winning 2-run blast in the 8th to take the lead that Seattle never relinquished.
It also looked different at the plate from a physical standpoint, at least from the left side.
Last night Polanco started without the right leg split out as he previously had done in 2024 (right image) and years prior, and instead started with a shoulder-width wide base (left image):
Polanco seemed to be late on a lot of fastballs in 2024. This seems to be an attempt to be more prepared as the pitcher enters his wind up and need less action to get to his swing point. The home run off of Jose Leclerc came on a 94.7 mph fastball that the Mariners third baseman cracked over the centerfield wall.
Next, Polanco looks to have significantly flattened his swing. In the video below of the same at-bat pictured above against Luis Gil in September of 2024, Polanco launches the ball to right-field by really getting the bat under the ball to get lift.
Now, for the Opening Day home run, where we see the swing flatten out and the ball be driven to center field:
As I hit rewind on both videos, there’s another significant change. The front leg. In 2024, it’s a medium sized leg kick as he enters his load up. That is clearly eliminated in the 2025 swing, where it is a quick step and then explosion through the hands.
While it is impossible to know how much of a contribution Edgar Martinez or Kevin Seitzer made to the changes Polanco made, we do know that both prioritize simplifying approach, and swing. Polanco has clearly tried to make his pre-pitch mechanics more simple with less movement and the ability to be quicker to the ball. This could be for various reasons.
It could put less stress on his left knee that surgically repaired in October 2024, and getting into his swing quicker could help lessen the penalty of any bat speed may Polanco may feel he has lost — or will lose — as he ages.
1-0.
Go Mariners!