zooming up the charts

Though he is hitting just .241, Jarrod Dyson is on pace for a career year in most categories in his first season with Seattle, where he has gotten more playing time than he did in his seven years in Kansas City. The former Southwest Mississippi Community College star from McComb matched his career-high RBI total of 25 with a big two-run hit against Jacob deGrom in Saturday’s 3-2 win over the New York Mets. Dyson also stole a base, No. 23 on the season and No. 199 of his career. His career-best for steals is 36, which he set in 2014, when he was used a lot as a pinch runner by the Royals. Dyson, playing regularly in center field for the Mariners, has 290 at-bats (299 is his career-high), 70 hits (76), 50 runs (52), five homers (never more than two before 2017), 13 doubles (14) and 24 walks (30). While his batting average is down from his .257 career mark, his on-base percentage is roughly the same (.319 to .324 career). And his defense is always superb, which is one of the reasons Seattle traded for him in the off-season. The normally effervescent Dyson reportedly cried when he learned he was leaving the Royals, who drafted him (50th round in 2006) and with whom he won a World Series ring. But he has said he is glad to be getting more playing time with Seattle. Dyson, who turns 33 next month, will be a free agent after this season, and there is some speculation that if the Royals lose center fielder Lorenzo Cain to free agency, they might re-sign Dyson.