Donovan plays like his hair is on fire, hates striking out and is feeling right at home with Mariners

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Brendan Donovan knew immediately that he’d fit right in.

Just one week after being traded to the Mariners as the icing-on-the-cake piece to Seattle’s offseason, Donovan arrived in Arizona early to acclimate with his new teammates -- none of whom he knew personally prior.

“The thing about me is I believe in preparation,” said Donovan, who was acquired from St. Louis last Monday as part of a three-team trade that also included Tampa Bay. “I try to be the most prepared player on the field. I think that may come with just kind of being able to play kind of all over the field.

“And I play really hard. I think that's something that -- your effort, your mentality, all that -- those are things that you can control in this crazy game. So that's something I just try to play like my hair is on fire, and that's something that I think makes the game more fun, too.”

On paper, Donovan’s positional versatility, elite bat-to-ball skills and more modest affordability compared to higher-priced free agents made him a prime target for Seattle’s front office for as far back as a few years. But it’s his makeup that those behind the scenes have raved about since the trade.

“I think the one thing the organization does really well is they do a good job, for the most part, with their homework and getting good people,” Cal Raleigh said. “Obviously, we want good players and stuff like that, but trying to combine that with good people -- people who work hard, do the right things. That's what you've seen a lot of with these guys here already, and it kind of seems like we added to that.”

Donovan grew up a military brat, the son of Jim, who retired as colonel in the Army Aviation in 2021, and who instilled values that draw parallels from his own career. Many of those center around preparation, yet Donovan quipped that because his father was a pilot, he carries a genetic eyesight advantage at the plate as well.

“I also hate striking out,” Donovan said.

Required reading in the Donovan household at a young age was “The Science of Hitting,” the classic instructional book that breaks down the mechanics and philosophy of hitting a baseball and is co-written by Hall of Famer Ted Williams.

No pressure, kid.

Donovan of course won’t hit like the best pure left-handed hitter to ever play -- but it’s evident that his upbringing folded into his makeup, which folded into his success in St. Louis, where he blossomed into one of MLB’s better contact hitters and a 2025 All-Star.

“I think he complements our lineup really well,” Raleigh said. “He's what we needed to add to this team -- that type of player. And obviously sad seeing some of the other guys walk out, but knowing what we needed and having to add and making our lineup deeper with different types of hitters, that’s a big add.”

Donovan won’t replace the power production that the Mariners lost via Eugenio Suárez and Jorge Polanco, but he will give the Mariners more defensive flexibility and contact at the plate. His 10 homers in 2025 pale in comparison to the 75 combined from Suárez/Polanco, but his .383 on-base percentage and 140 wRC+ (league average is 100) against right-handed pitching make him a favorite to lead off.

He also ranked in Statcast’s 95th percentile in whiff rate (13.4%) and 92nd in K rate (13%). Both would’ve easily paced the 2025 team.

It’s where Donovan’s glove(s) will play that will be the more pressing storyline as camp progresses. Penciled in to see his most reps at third base, Donovan said that one of the most important calls he fielded the night of the trade was from Mariners infield coach Perry Hill.

Entering his eighth season with the Mariners in that role and 39th in pro baseball, Hill has been on Donovan’s radar since his days at the University of South Alabama. There, one of his coaches had preached the 6 F’s of fielding (feet, field, funnel, footwork, fire, follow), messaging that was pioneered by Hill.

“It's pretty cool, just kind of the lineage of what's been passed down from his knowledge,” Donovan said. “It’s so simple that it just makes so much sense.”

Donovan is just one week into his tenure with his new team, and already he appears to feel right at home.