Mariners Report Cards: First Base

My report card series continues with one of the most controversial Mariners, Ty France. We will also get into Mike Ford and what he provided this team in 2023, and what to expect in 2024!

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Very rarely have I ever seen a player get turned on by a fanbase as quickly as what happened to Ty France in 2023. France’s struggles this season were hard to watch, and have led to plenty of questions about his future on this roster.

Let’s take a look at the positives and negatives from the first base position in 2023, and what to expect moving forward. Don’t miss my video located at the bottom of the article breaking down France, and what the Mariners should do with the first base position.

Positives

Ty France spent most of the season trying to find his swing, and clearly didn’t have a lot of answers. The positives section isn’t going to be lengthy.

France posted a .337 OBP and a .250 average, which overall aren’t terrible. His 104 wRC+ makes him an above average hitter, although not for his position.

He was able to stay on the field for most of the season, although he did reach a top 10 all time season for hit by pitches with 34. This helped him contribute even as he tried swinging his way out of slumps.

France played solid defense throughout the season, and played in 158 games despite the hit by pitches. He also finished the season strong, cracking 1/6 of his season home run total in the final six games.

The 29 year old will enter this offseason searching for answers, and reportedly will attend Driveline this offseason. We will keep you posted and talk about how Driveline could improve France’s profile as the offseason goes on.

Negatives