Seattle Mariners third baseman Adrian Beltre, taking his cuts at Cashman Field on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs, batted .367 with five home runs and 14 RBIs during this year's spring training. Photo by K.M. Cannon. The Seattle Mariners' Adrian Beltre steps to the plate for his lone at-bat during Saturday's exhibition game against the Chicago Cubs at Cashman Field. Photo by K.M. Cannon.

Adrian Beltre has struggled to emerge from his own shadow in two seasons with the Seattle Mariners. But the third baseman has shown signs of stepping back into the limelight.

A traditionally slow starter, Beltre finished last year strong, batting .285 with 18 home runs and 54 RBIs after the All-Star break. He also enjoyed a torrid spring -- batting .367 with five homers and 14 RBIs -- and hopes to keep things rolling into the regular season.

"We're working for that," Beltre said before Seattle's 2-1 exhibition victory over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday at Cashman Field. "Hopefully we can do that. That's my main goal this year."

Beltre's career statistics improve substantially in the second half of the season -- increasing from a .260 average, 76 home runs and 299 RBIs in the first half to .282-115-387 down the stretch.

"I have no idea why," said the Dominican Republic native, who was the youngest player in the majors at 19 when he was called up to the Los Angeles Dodgers straight out of Double-A in 1998.

Beltre, who turns 28 on April 7, signed a five-year, $64 million contract with the Mariners on Dec. 17, 2004, after a career year in which he batted .334 with 48 homers, 121 RBIs and 200 hits for the Dodgers.

Beltre tied Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt for the major league record for homers in a season by a third baseman and was one of only 16 players in baseball history to put together a season of at least 45 homers and 200 hits.

Beltre slipped to a .255 average with 19 homers and 87 RBIs in his first year with Seattle and finished last season with a .268 average, 25 homers and 89 RBIs.

"He was trying to do too much last year, but in the second half he just settled down and got comfortable," Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi said. "He's a tremendously gifted guy on the field, a real good leader and a real quality person, and sometimes it's tougher for guys like that because they care so much. They always try to hit the 'five-run' home run and do more than they really need to do."

Despite Beltre starting his 10th big league season, Bavasi said he still hasn't reached his potential.

"He's got the ability to be the type of player you build franchises around," Bavasi said. "He had a really good second half with us last year, but he's just scratching the surface. It's taking longer for him to get to where he wants to get, but that happens with some players.

"His effort is miles ahead of the guy who is in second place. Nobody works harder than him, nobody plays harder than him and nobody tries harder than him. He's really something special."

Bavasi also said nobody plays defense better than Beltre.

"Defensively, there's nobody better," he said. "(Oakland's Eric) Chavez has won the Gold Glove, but sometimes that has more to do with being a consistent offensive player -- that does happen. But when it comes to pure defense, Chavez is not better than this guy."

Beltre, who signed with Seattle as a free agent, said he didn't want to leave Los Angeles.

"I didn't decide to leave," he said. "They didn't want to keep me."

Beltre, who played two games for the Las Vegas 51s in 2001 while on a rehabilitation assignment, said he's very comfortable now in Seattle and his goals for this season are simple.

"To stay healthy and help the team to win," he said.

Beltre, who hit a mammoth two-run opposite-field shot at Cashman Field in an 8-5 Mariners loss to the Cubs on Friday night, had only one at-bat in Saturday's game as both teams sat their starters down early in the spring training finale.

Beltre's replacement at third, Gookie Dawkins, went 2-for-3 and delivered a game-winning RBI double in the sixth for Seattle. Jeff Weaver earned the win.

Alfonso Soriano went 2-for-2, Daryle Ward went 2-for-4 and former Las Vegas Stars player Derrek Lee drove in the lone run for the Cubs with an RBI-single in the first.

A total of 23,220 fans attended the two Big League Weekend games.

• NOTE -- Seattle catcher Jamie Burke was hit in the head by a pitch from Chicago's Angel Guzman in the top of the ninth inning. Burke was taken out of the game as a precaution, but is expected to be OK.