Seattle Mariners ' first baseman Ty France is hoping to not make the kind of history in 2024 that he made in 2023, where he did something hardly ever done in the last 120 years.
Per Mariners PR:
Was hit-by-pitch a club record 34 times in 2023, tied for 9th-most in MLB History. Since 1900, is 1 of 4 players to be hit 34+ times in a season, joining Ron Hunt-MON (50 HBP, 1971), Don Baylor-BOS (35 HBP, 1986) and Craig Biggio-HOU (34 HBP, 1997).
While France's ability to get plunked is certainly an asset to the M's desire to get on base, and raises his on-base percentage, he'd appreciate more hits in 2024 and less getting hit.
France was an All-Star based on the first half of his 2022 season but his numbers cratered from that point forward. He lost nearly all his power in 2023, hitting just 12 home runs and driving in 58. He hit only .250 and if not for the fact that he led the league with those hit-by-pitches, his on-base percentage would have been much lower than the .337 it was.
He's a lifetime .270 hitter who is best known for his bat, so the tool is in there somewhere. He's been working out at Driveline this winter, so perhaps he'll come back like the player he was in the first half of 2022.
The M's have added Jorge Polanco, Luke Raley, Mitch Haniger and Mitch Garver this offseason, and if France can rediscover his prior form, Seattle should have a deeper offense this season.
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