WCC Players in the MLB: Jason Bay
By Josh Horton
Jun 7, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners right fielder Jason Bay (12) hits a 2-RBI single against the New York Yankees during the 4th inning at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
In the latter end of his 11 year career, Jason Bay has been a journeyman player that is trying to recover from relatively unsuccessful stops with the Boston Red Sox and the New York Mets. The British Columbia native was signed to his default hometown team, the Seattle Mariners, where he is trying to resurrect his career.
His career stats go something like this:
GP | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|
1255 | 4435 | 727 | 1188 | 238 | 30 | 219 | 749 | 628 | 1197 | 95 | 16 | .268 | .362 | .483 | .845 |
The former Gonzaga Bulldog has had an up and down career, and his statistic’s certainly reflect that. In the earlier part of his career when he played for the Pirates, Bay was consistently hitting .280-.300, with about 25 home runs. The former national league rookie of the year hasn’t quite been able to recreate that sort of success in recent years, mostly due to injuries.
A rib injury and a severe concussion essentially derailed his tenure with the Mets. Rumor has it that the Mets training staff did a poor job with treating his injuries, which was a possible result of his subpar performance in Queens.
The Seattle Mariners took a chance with Bay, and signed him to a 1 year, $1 million contract. He made the team as a 5th outfielder, and has been in the outfield rotation the entire year. These are his statistics for this season so far:
GP | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|
| 47 | 140 | 20 | 30 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 15 | 18 | 44 | 3 | 0 | .214 | .311 | .414 | .725 |
Bay isn’t quite back to his old self, but he is making some significant strides. He is showing a great deal more power than he did during his slump in New York, as evident by the 8 home run’s and the slugging percentage of .414 he has accumulated so far this season.
Is Jason Bay’s time as a perennial MLB All-Star behind him? Most likely. But he can still contribute to a ball club, without being a dominate player. He is trying to prove this everyday as we speak in Seattle, fighting to reamain in the big leagues.