Mariners Moose Tracks, 6/26/23: George Kirby, Noelvi Marte, and Michael McDonald

Start off the week with a fresh batch of links!

It’s a very Monday Monday and we are truly tuckered out after a fun but busy weekend. Thanks to every one of you who made it out to the Growler Guys event, even though we saw our perfect record at watch parties snapped. We’ll plan another one for July so keep your ears out and if you haven’t been to an event yet, please join us! We have a good time even when the team does not. Speaking of said team, let’s get into some links!

In Mariners news:

• David Adler at MLB.com took a look at George Kirby’s prodigiously low walk rate, noting that he has a shot at making history.
• Cal Raleigh’s screamer of a Eutaw Street bomb yesterday, however, already did.

• In case you missed it, the Arkansas Travelers became the first Mariners affiliate to punch their post-season tickets this year, winning the first half divisional title with a victory over Wichita and a loss by Tulsa, the team they were directly competing with. The Travs keep finding ways to stack wins in a good Texas League despite losing pitching up to the big-league club. Congratulations to manager Mike Freeman and the club.

• Outfield prospect Cade Marlowe has been on a tear for the Rainiers, and with a 40-man roster spot already secured, he could find himself up in Seattle if he keeps it up.

• MLB updated their Top 100 prospects list. Bryan Woo gets a courtesy spot on the list at #98, but Jonatan Clase and Michael Arroyo remain unranked. Harry Ford remains within the Top 30 at 29, and Cole Young is 60.
• Taylor Trammell has been on a tear for Tacoma lately. El Paso is a launching pad, but this one didn’t need any extra help.

Around the league:

• Kiley McDaniel reports that the Cincinnati Reds have promoted Noelvi Marte to Triple-A. One of the key pieces in the Luis Castillo trade last summer, Marte put up a 120 wRC+ in 50 games with Double-A Chattanooga.
• When you have the chance to play a guy who’s slashing .125/.197/.406 with a 59 wRC+ regularly, who am I to judge?

• Things continue to go swimmingly over in Queens - and this was before the Mets’ bullpen gave up four runs in the eighth to blow the game!

• Our pals at Bucs Dugout wonder if Andrew McCutcheon is All-Star material. I vote an enthusiastic yes because I’d love to see him in Seattle again.
• Congratulations to Freddie Freeman on reaching the 5,000 hits club.

• In less-good Dodgers news, Chris Taylor is headed to the IL with a knee issue.
• The Orioles are calling up infield prospect Jordan Westburg, per Jeff Passan. The 30th overall pick of the 2020 draft, Westburg has racked up a 131 wRC+ with Triple-A Norfolk, and will be the latest of a slew of reinforcements from the farm for a surging Baltimore club.

Connor’s pick:

• We stan an old soul.

Kate’s pick:

Today is National Coconut Day, apparently. I know it’s polarizing, but I love coconut everything: I love the smell, I love it in drinks, I like to eat it (red curry salmon with toasted coconut flake garnish, a favorite recipe!), and I enjoy that coconuts just like of look like the goofy little guys of the fruit world. Or, as this Twitter user put it, capybaras look like dogs but made out of coconut. Even if you’re a coco-hater I think we can agree on this.