It didn’t take long for Tyler Locklear to make an impact for the Seattle Mariners.
After being promoted from Triple-A Tacoma earlier in the day to make his major league debut, the 23-year-old first baseman hit a go-ahead RBI double in the seventh inning of the Mariners’ 6-5 10-inning win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday afternoon.
Mariners reportedly calling up top prospect Tyler Locklear
Locklear was called up on Sunday to replace Ty France, who was placed on the 10-day injured list after fracturing his right heel on a hit by pitch in Friday’s game. Locklear went 1-for-4 in his MLB debut while starting at first base and batting seventh in the order.
.@tylock13's first MLB hit is for the LEAD! #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/uNnPwcsLad
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) June 9, 2024
In the top of the seventh, Locklear came to the plate with a runner on first and one out in a 1-1 tie. The former 2022 second-round pick immediately jumped on a first-pitch slider from Kansas City reliever Will Klein, driving an opposite-field RBI double into the right-center field gap that one-hopped off the wall and scored Mitch Haniger to give the Mariners a 2-1 lead. Locklear then scored from second on an RBI single from Josh Rojas to make it 3-1.
Locklear, the No. 83 overall prospect in Baseball America’s Top 100, was promoted to Triple-A Tacoma less than two weeks ago. That came after a scorching start to the season in Double-A Arkansas, where he batted .291/.401/.532 with eight homers, one triple, 12 doubles and a .933 OPS in 41 games. After being promoted, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound slugger hit .300/.417/.475 with one homer, one triple and two doubles in 10 games with Tacoma.
Locklear has a strong track record of production. As a redshirt sophomore at Virginia Commonwealth in 2022, he hit a school-record 20 homers and ranked fourth in NCAA Division I with a 1.342 OPS. Over three seasons in the minors, he posted a .289/.398/.508 slash line with 29 homers and a .906 OPS in 167 games. He also had an impressive showing in MLB spring training this March, hitting .320 with one homer and three doubles in 25 at-bats.
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