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TORONTO – When Jorge Polanco went on an April home-run spree unlike anything the Mariners had seen, they made up a new nickname for the veteran hitter.
“We call him George Bonds for a reason,” J.P. Crawford said. “The guy is so locked in. He has a gift.”
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The moniker, which compares Polanco to seven-time MVP Barry Bonds, took over the Mariners clubhouse at the beginning of this season. His teammates haven’t stopped calling him that since.
“He had like 20 homers in two days,” Crawford embellished. “So it just kind of stuck.”
In truth, Polanco began the year by lifting nine home runs through his first 21 games of the season, including six home runs in a six-game span. It was a significant development, considering Polanco finished the 2024 season with 16 home runs and an OPS+ of 92 in 118 games played. This wasn’t that same guy from last year. This was George Bonds.
“Once he gets what he’s looking for, he’s not missing,” Julio Rodriguez said.
Jorge Polanco is part of a formidable core in Seattle. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Watching Polanco’s red-hot production in the first month of the season, the Mariners started to believe they could really do this. They could go all the way. Then Cal Raleigh slammed home runs and broke records. Then the front office added Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez to the roster at the trade deadline. Then the Mariners won the division. Maybe, just maybe, they had the makings of a World Series team.
What began as a small hope has blossomed into the team’s reality due in large part to Polanco’s iconic postseason performance this October.
Polanco’s third home run of the postseason — a three-run shot from the left side in the fifth inning off right-hander Louis Varland — broke a tied game and gave Seattle the lead for good in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series. The Mariners’ 10-3 win over the Blue Jays on Monday was their second straight victory on the road, giving them a 2-0 advantage in the ALCS before the series goes back to T-Mobile Park on Wednesday.
“I’m clutch, but I’m just trying to keep it simple,” Polanco said. “I love to be in those situations.”
“It felt amazing to get that ball over the wall” – Jorge Polanco on HR vs. Blue Jays
No kidding. Polanco’s go-ahead three-run bomb on Monday came after he broke the tied game on Sunday with an RBI single. And that came after he ripped the walk-off hit in the 15th inning of Game 5 of the ALDS. By the way, he also enjoyed a two-homer day in Game 2 of that series, ripping both of those swings off none other than the AL reigning Cy Young winner, Tarik Skubal.
Polanco sent the Mariners to the ALCS, and now they’re two wins away from advancing to the World Series for the first time in franchise history.
“He’s been carrying this lineup this postseason,” Raleigh said of Polanco. “He’s a huge bat in the middle of that order, especially being a switch-hitter. Being able to carry that weight is important and he’s a veteran guy. He knows how to handle his bat. He’s been really producing and understanding how he’s getting attacked.”
Polanco was traded to Seattle from Minnesota in the offseason before the 2024 season. After spending 14 years in the Twins organization, Polanco said: “I’m not going to lie, it was hard to leave Minnesota.” His first season with the Mariners was a difficult transition, not only because he was trying to adjust to a different team with new faces, but also because he was battling various injuries throughout the year.
Then Polanco underwent knee surgery this past offseason and he returned to form. The 32-year-old was the second-best hitter in the Mariners lineup this year, behind Raleigh, after slashing .265/.326/.495 with 26 home runs, 30 doubles, 78 RBI, 42 walks and an OPS+ of 134 in 138 games. Polanco credits his switch-hitting success at the plate to being able to get lower in the box again. Last year, he couldn’t use his legs as much as he is right now.
“When he’s healthy, he’s one of the best players. That’s just the reality,” said Rodriguez, who enjoyed a three-run home run of his own in the first inning of Game 2 on Monday. “There’s a lot going on behind the scenes. It’s easy to say, ‘Why is this guy not hitting?’ But his health was not there last year. We saw him battling through a lot of things. But this year he’s been feeling better and then you can see what’s happening on the field.”
‘He’s very special’ – Julio Rodríguez on Jorge Polanco’s big home run in Mariners’ win vs Blue Jays
Ask anyone in the Mariners clubhouse what’s been the difference for Polanco this year and the answer is his health. But the surge in his second year with the Mariners, when he could’ve signed anywhere else as a free agent this past winter, is what has made his performance impressive. That he’s the one carrying the Mariners — when the lineup is flooded with household names like Randy Arozarena, Cal Raleigh, Josh Naylor, Eugenio Suarez, J.P. Crawford and Julio Rodriguez — is nothing short of remarkable.
“We feel momentum, especially going home,” Polanco said. “Hopefully the team just keeps getting better.”
Unlikely heroes can turn into legends in October.
Just ask outfielder Eddie Rosario, who helped the Atlanta Braves win the World Series in 2021 with an otherworldly slashline (.383/.456/.617) and performance in 16 playoff games in that October run. Now, Polanco is the first player in MLB history to have a go-ahead hit in the fifth inning or later in three consecutive postseason games. He’s tied with Ken Griffey Jr. for the most go-ahead plate appearances (4) in a single postseason in Mariners franchise history.
“You never know what people are going to do in the playoffs until they get there,” Mitch Garver said. “He did this for Minnesota in 2023 against the Astros in the ALDS. He hit a few homers in that series. He’s always been a tough at-bat no matter where he’s playing. I’m happy to see him doing it now.”
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The Mariners are convinced that Polanco is ending the year just like he started it. The only difference is, now he’s bringing the George Bonds experience to the national stage.
“He’s a tough out right now,” manager Dan Wilson said. “It’s been huge for us, and he’s come up in situations where we’ve had guys on, and he’s been able to do the job and drive them in. That’s what this game is all about. It’s been phenomenal.”
Deesha Thosar covers Major League Baseball as a reporter and columnist for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.
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