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Brendan Donovan reacts after striking out during the fifth inning against the Miami Marlins at Busch Stadium.
It’s Opening Day, and baseball fans everywhere are ready to cheer on their teams as first pitch approaches. For Seattle Mariners fans, the wait ends tonight at 7:10 p.m. at T-Mobile Park. Here, a new season begins with high expectations and a refreshed lineup.
Despite many familiar faces, a new lead off emerges in the Mariners lineup. Brendan Donovan is set to begin at the plate following the Mariners’ offseason acquisition from the St. Louis Cardinals. Known for his versatility and discipline, Donovan represents a different type of leadoff than Seattle has recently seen.
Donovan a ‘Real Pest’ at the Plate
Donovan’s value doesn’t come from overpowering pitchers. Instead, it comes from wearing them down. Across four MLB seasons, he owns a .282/.361/.411 slash line and a .772 OPS. His ability to consistently make contact and get on base could bring stability to a lineup that has been prone to a swing-and-miss start.
Mariners leadoff hitters combined for 15 home runs in 2025. This is slightly ahead of Donovan’s typical output, however, the difference lies in approach. Donovan prioritizes plate discipline, extending at-bats and forcing pitchers to work deeper into counts. That style has the potential to create more opportunities for the power bats hitting behind him.
Mike Salk of Seattle Sports summed it up by calling Donovan a “real pest” at the plate.
“It’s not like they haven’t had guys with the ability to take pitches and grind through at-bats. All of those guys are capable of doing that, but I think what you get from Donovan is he’s able to grind through the at-bats and make them pay off by getting on base, by coming up with hits, by avoiding strikeouts, by an OPS and even a slugging percentage that are a step up from what the Mariners have had in that spot in the past,” Salk said. “You’re not gonna hit a lot of home runs. That’s not his game, but if and when he does kind of figure out T-Mobile Park and what that looks like, he should be a real pest.”
Salk noted that Donovan likely won’t be a major home run threat. However, his impact could be felt in more subtle, and potentially, more sustainable ways.
“He should be really annoying to play against and he should help the guys who hit right after him by putting more pressure on the pitcher and exhausting him.”
If Donovan can make adjustments that make sense for T-Mobile Park, he could quickly become a tone-setter for the offense.
The M’s Lineup
Brenden Donovan (L) 3B
Cal Raleigh (S) C
Julio Rodriguez (R) CF
Josh Naylor (L) 1B
Randy Arozarena (R) LF
Luke Raley (L) RF
Dominic Canzone (L) DH
Cole Young (L) 2B
Leo Rivas (S) SS
With Donovan setting the table for big hitters like Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez, followed by a solid lineup, the Mariners will look to establish an offensive rhythm early in the season.
The Cleveland Guardians have not yet announced their lineup. All eyes in Seattle will likely be on how new leadoff Donovan performs under the bright lights of Opening Day.
Sydney Jones Sydney Jones is a sports writer covering all things Golf, Mariners, and Seahawks for Heavy.com. She has experience covering the intersection of sports and human interest stories for multiple publications. Originally from Montana, she recently relocated to Seattle and is enjoying the new experience of being surrounding by live professional sports and rooting for a common team while writing about them. More about Sydney Jones
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