Lewis projects as the everyday right fielder this coming regular season despite having hit just .172 (5-for-29) over 11 Cactus League games before spring training was suspended, Brent Stecker of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.
EDGE Analysis
Stecker notes that general manager Jerry Dipoto identifies the slugger's occasional "empty swings" as a byproduct of an opposite-field approach to hitting which requires Lewis to often allow the ball to go deeper into the zone than a pull hitter does. The Mariners are willing to accept such a tradeoff so long as Lewis is able to generate a similar caliber of long-ball production to that of his first big-league cup of coffee in 2019. Following his September promotion, the 24-year-old became the second player in MLB history to homer in each of his first three games and ultimately left the yard once every 12.5 plate appearances across 18 contests overall. Signs of his prodigious power were evident once again this spring despite the overall lack of success, as three of Lewis' five hits during Cactus League play were home runs.