Mariners in AFL: O’Neill aims to end year on high note

Tyler O’Neill put himself on the map with a powerful 2015 campaign that saw him slug 32 home runs in 106 games for Class A Advanced Bakersfield. It was an eye-opening performance, but scouts wanted to see more progress from O’Neill, especially outside the hitter-friendly California League, before fully buying in.

The Mariners’ No. 2 prospect checked every box this year in his first Double-A campaign, batting .293/.374/.508 with 24 home runs and a league-leading (and career-high) 102 RBIs for Jackson. O’Neill’s impressive season netted him Seattle’s Ken Griffey Jr. Minor League Hitter of the Year award and he was named Southern League MVP.

O’Neill would add to his accolades in the Southern League playoffs, as he earned Finals MVP honors after hitting .429 with six hits and three RBIs in Jackson’s three-game sweep of Mississippi. However, the 21-year-old outfielder is quick to acknowledge that it was his team’s year-long effort, not just his own, that led to the title.

“Great year all together,” O’Neill said. “We had a great first half, clinched a playoff spot and all the boys really came together in the end during the playoff push. We did a great job down there.”

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But in spite of his successes, O’Neill understands that he still has a ways to go in terms of his overall development. It’s why he was eager to return to the Arizona Fall League this year after receiving his first taste of the circuit in 2015.

“I just want to become a better overall player,” said O’Neill, who hit .333 with three homers with five RBIs over eight games for Peoria in his first AFL stint. “I think anyone can work on bettering themselves in every category. So more reps, more hitting, more defensive plays — everything.”

O’Neill, MLBPipeline.com’s No. 59 overall prospect, certainly has bettered himself in his second go-round in Arizona, where, through 11 games, he’s hitting .313 with three home runs and nine RBIs for the Javelinas.

Meanwhile, O’Neill believes that the Mariners allowing him to develop as an outfielder, after he reportedly had been …

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