Colorado Rockies vs Seattle Mariners: 5 players to watch

Jean Segura, SS, Seattle

The Mariners acquired the shortstop over the off-season from the Arizona Diamondbacks, in a trade that sent pitcher Taijuan Walker to the D-Backs. Last year, Segura led the National League with 203 hits. Only Mookie Betts and Jose Altuve had more in 2016.

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As the team’s leadoff hitter, Segura gets a lot of opportunity to get hits and to get on base. He has speed with 33 stolen bags a year ago. Not surprisingly, he leads the team in runs scored even after a small stint on the DL.

The Colorado Rockies also saw Segura a lot last year when he was with Arizona and they didn’t have much of an answer for him. The Dominican-born shortstop had his most hits against any team against the Rockies. He went 32-for-76 with a .421 average when he faced Colorado, including 19 hits at Coors Field. Of the 20 home runs he hit last year, six of them were against the Rockies.

Segura is a key part of the Seattle Mariners lineup. Despite the rest of the team’s offensive struggles, he hasn’t slowed down. He’s earned the nickname “Jean Jean the Hitting Machine” for a reason. If the Rockies want to keep the Mariners from scoring, limiting the amount of hits Segura gets is key.