Dustin Ackley is a Seattle Mariner. At long last, with fans clamoring for his arrival with the major league team, the Mariners made the decision to call-up Ackley for Friday's series-opener against the Philadelphia Phillies at Safeco Field. Ackley has been building a buzz since the Mariners made him the second overall pick in the 2009 MLB Draft, and it hit a boiling point as the he tore up Triple-A with the Tacoma Rainiers over the last month and a half.
The announcement came immediately following the Mariners 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday night. Ackley is headed straight into the fire as the Phillies and their tough rotation comes to town, but don't expect the Mariners to ease him in.
The expectation is that Ackley will move immediately into the lineup at second, hopefully providing a boost to an offense that went 19 scoreless innings before finally getting two on the board in the seventh inning Wednesday, which proved just enough to salvage the finale of a three-game series against the Angels in front of 19,321 at Safeco Field.
It would appear Jack Wilson will be the odd man out as Ackley is poised to earn starter's playing time with the Mariners immediately. Ackley started the season slow, but has pushed his average to .300 while hitting nine home runs and driving in 34 runs in Tacoma this season.
Be excited, Mariners fans. Ackley is the real deal, and should provide a lift for a Mariners lineup that still desperately needs one.
For more on Ackley and the Mariners, head over to SB Nation's Lookout Landing.