Mariners' Tom Murphy: Impressing early in spring
Murphy has enjoyed a strong start to camp as he prepares to serve as the primary catcher this season, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.
The veteran is being lauded for his leadership, veteran presence and relationship with the pitching staff, although Murphy still remains somewhat of an unknown quantity as a full-time player since he's never filled such a role over his first five big-league seasons. The 28-year-old does have a reputation for strong work ethic and preparation, with the latter especially important considering Murphy will serve as the battery mate to a pair of promising but raw young arms in Justus Sheffield and Justin Dunn this season. At the plate, Murphy will also look to improve his numbers versus right-handed pitchers after slashing just .211/.252/.401 against that handedness in 2019, although Johns notes righty bat Austin Nola, who generated a solid .275/.335/.413 line in same-handed matchups last season, could will draw some of those starts as Murphy's backup during the 2020 campaign.
