After 79 stolen bases, how high is Clase's potential?

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Not since Minor League stats began tracking in 1961 had anyone accomplished what outfielder Jonatan Clase did last season in the Mariners’ pipeline, when he crushed 20 homers and stole 79 bases.

Which begged the obvious question for the youngster with a fascinating power-speed combo: What’s next?

The Mariners’ No. 7 prospect by MLB Pipeline gave an early hint during Seattle’s Cactus League opener on Saturday -- an 8-7 loss to the White Sox -- when he doubled in the eighth inning then raced home on an infield grounder in the next at-bat.

• Why the Mariners believe Polanco is the answer at second base

During the bang-bang play, as the fielder corralled the ball and threw to third, he didn’t see that Clase had already headed home and scored, leaving the third baseman holding the ball in defeat. Clase also ripped a single in the seventh and immediately stole second base.

“I think he’s one guy that may be under the radar, that we're not valuing,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “And I say this because at night I'm going through media guides and checking out things, and the year that Jonathan Clase had … there have been a lot of Minor League players since 1961 [who haven't done that].”

Clase has long been touted as the fastest runner in Seattle’s system, and last year he put even further backing to it when he went 79-for-94 in stolen base attempts between High-A Everett and Double-A Arkansas. It was perhaps the makings of Clase finally being consistently healthy after dealing with multiple injuries, albeit minor and more nagging, in recent years.

A dip in production after the promotion shows that he’ll need to continue mastering Double-A and Arkansas’ very pitcher-friendly ballpark, as his OPS dipped from 1.154 to .727 between the affiliates. Yet despite his 5-foot-8 frame, the power appears legitimate, leading to great intrigue on what his overall hit tool will look like when he’s fully developed. Maintaining a sound approach and not selling out for power and getting away from his best abilities will also be vital, scouts have said.

“Any time you go out and steal over 70 bases in a season, you are going to have no fear out there,” Servais said. “I was impressed by the way he swung the bat. Really good approach.”

Speed will always be Clase’s calling card, and coupling those wheels with improved route running that should allow him to play center field in the Majors on days where Julio Rodríguez needs a blow.

His floor over the next 18-24 months might be in the neighborhood of Taylor Trammell, who hasn’t yet found himself in the Majors but has shown flashes and who is looking to carve out a role this spring, given that he’s out of Minor League options. And Clase’s ceiling would be an everyday player who might sacrifice some batting average but make up for it by drawing walks and running into some power while playing good defense.

France’s first impression
For someone who could benefit from a strong start more than any, Ty France looked like his trademark self when ripping a double in his first plate appearance then getting hit by a pitch in his next. He also put his trimmed-down physique on display when tagging up from second to third base on a flyout.

France said that he’s felt the results from his work at Driveline as early as November, but this was obviously the first time he’d seen so in a game.

“Today, it was just go out there and compete,” France said. “And everything felt normal. I felt like I had been doing it for a while, so that's what I was hoping for.”

Taylor goes deep
Seattle’s first homer of the season came in the seventh from newly acquired outfielder Samad Taylor, who also put his elite speed on display with a stolen base in the fourth, immediately after pinch-running for Jorge Polanco.

Taylor is on the outside looking in among a crowded outfield group for the Opening Day roster, but the tools he displayed on Saturday show why the Mariners traded for him last month and how he could be a solid bench piece at some point.