Photos courtesy of Ryan and Katelynn Bliss |
PEORIA, Ariz. -- J.P. Crawford is a career .373 hitter with the bases loaded and has maybe been the Mariners’ most clutch player in the highest-stakes moments. But that didn’t compare to quite literally taking center stage when officiating the wedding of fellow infielder Ryan Bliss and his new wife, Katelynn, this past offseason. “That was the most nerve-wracking thing I've ever done,” Crawford said. “Just stick me in front of 50,000 people any day compared to doing that. It's the biggest day of their lives. You're getting them married, so you can't mess up.” Crawford has long been a clubhouse leader. Yet that a teammate asked him to be the centerpiece of an everlasting life moment, completely independent of baseball, further illustrates his impact upon entering his eighth season in Seattle. “We’ve always been boys,” Bliss said. “But we’re family now.” This was also Katelynn's big day -- and the whole thing was her idea. Here’s how it came together: |
Teammates becoming fast friends Bliss has only been in the organization since July 2023, and the trade to acquire him came with some polarization because of who the Mariners parted with -- closer Paul Sewald -- and the optics it cast amid a season of expectations. Bliss was mostly immune from that, spending the rest of ‘23 at Triple-A Tacoma followed by a stint in the Arizona Fall League. That also kept him from interacting with Seattle’s big league roster until the following Spring Training, a camp more on edge after the Mariners missed the playoffs by one game. All of those factors prompted Crawford -- the Mariners’ longest-tenured player (since 2019) -- to bring Bliss under his wing. “He didn't have to do this,” Bliss said. “He took me in. He was the one that wanted to show me how things go and everything, and I was just right behind him. And it's honestly an honor just to not only be a teammate, but also see him in another light outside of baseball.” Two months later, on his second day in the big leagues, he scored the winning run in a comeback over the Astros, making him the go-to for a postgame interview. As is custom, a Gatorade bath ensued -- and it was Crawford who drenched him live on camera. |
The proposal after the proposal Again, Crawford has only been in Bliss’ life for two years. But it was during this time when he proposed to Katelynn, in October 2024. So when the Mariners reported to camp in ‘25, wedding planning was well underway. Katelynn and Ryan preferred a smaller ceremony but with a large bridal party mostly consisting of family. That opened the door for an officiant, and to add a special member of their lives to the ceremony. “The first person I said was J.P.,” Katelynn said. “He's been such a mentor to Ryan, and he's also just kind of guided him in such an important phase of his life and has been such a good friend to him. I was like, 'I think this is the perfect person.'” Over lunch in Arizona last spring, Ryan and Katelynn surprised Crawford and his wife, Kathy, with a customized bottle of Don Julio 1942, their favorite tequila, that included the request of a lifetime. At first, they pretended like they forgot something in the car. |
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“I was like, 'Oh, y'all are trying to get crazy today,’” Crawford said. “Then I opened it up, and I was speechless.” Words of wisdom Crawford has orchestrated seven career walk-offs and has a .782 OPS in high-leverage at-bats, per Baseball-Reference. But again, that’s small potatoes compared to delivering a life-lasting speech. After becoming ordained online, Crawford estimates he practiced 50 times the night before, becoming so frazzled that Kathy shot videos to good-naturedly heckle him. Then the day of, he refrained from the pregame by the pool to “lock in” hours before. But when the proverbial “play ball” commenced, that game-like flip switched. “I saw him when we were about to run out for the Opening Day last year, and he kind of gave the same look,” Bliss said. “It kind of had that same feel.” It reverberated on Bliss and his bride. “Everyone asked me that day, ‘Were you nervous?’” Katelynn said. “And I was like, ‘No,’ and I really think J.P. played a role in that.” |
The speech itself had a theme, and while it carried parallels to baseball, he never actually mentioned the sport that’s been a monumental part of their lives. “The essence, I would say, is the importance of marriage and love and just trusting your partner,” Crawford said. “You're going to go through good, you're going to go through bad, but you've got to go through everything together.” Bliss is working his way back from biceps and meniscus surgeries that sidelined him for virtually all of last season. But the bright spots in his recovery were his bride-to-be and best clubhouse friend. So if 2025 was a trying year, 2026 is off to an amazing start. |
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Since joining the Mariners in 2019, Crawford has a .370 batting average with the bases loaded that ranks third in franchise history. Who is the leader (min. 70 ABs)? A) Ichiro Suzuki B) Ken Griffey Jr. C) Jose Lopez D) Carlos Guillen |
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C) Jose Lopez Lopez compiled a .403 batting average in 72 at-bats with the bases loaded in his seven years with the Mariners. Ichiro is second in franchise history with a .393 average. Griffey is sixth in bases-loaded average (.342) but first in OPS (1.124), thanks to his franchise-best 12 grand slams. |
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