Mariners claim 1B/OF Michael Toglia off waivers in first offseason addition

Toglia was well-regarded by many (this author included) out of Gig Harbor High School in 2016 and particularly again after a strong career at UCLA. The Colorado Rockies made Toglia their first round pick in 2019, selecting him 23rd overall on the heels of a .307/.410/.573 line and top-notch glovework at the cold corner. A standout, 6'5 athlete, Toglia received some of the descriptors Evan White received as a prospect, noting his excellent athleticism was almost wasted at first base, anticipating at least nominal utilization in the outfield to expand his utility.

While that is what occurred in his progression through Colorado's system, some of the similar issues White encountered arose as well. Toglia's strikeout rates ballooned in pro ball, averaging around a 30% punchout rate despite clubbing prodigious home run totals before his big league debut in 2022. That debut was difficult for the then-23 year old, and he's found little consistency subsequently. A .198/.275/.384 career line with 42 home runs in 1095 plate appearances is good for a .286 wOBA, troubling enough on its own. But Toglia's home park his entire career has been Coors Field, save the 10 games mostly at home in Great American Ballpark with Cincinnati, meaning the most hitter-friendly parks in MLB have not been enough to foster quality numbers for him. The difficult nature of it is that Toglia's 69 wRC+, combined with the challenging task of roaming the outfield of Coors and some poor ratings at first base to boot has meant Toglia's fWAR of -3.5 ranks as worst in MLB since 2020.

Toglia has a profile somewhat similar to fellow former Rockies OF/1B Nolan Jones, whom the M's took on in the Luis Castillo trade with the White Sox. In a sense, both players have overlapping talents to Luke Raley and Lazaro Montes, both of whom have demonstrated more potent big league success thus far in their careers. Moreover, Toglia's tools and adjustments after a midseason demotion in 2024 popped significantly, a season where his Baseball Savant profile looked exceptionally promising.