The Seattle Mariners will be good this year and for years to come. The Seattle Mariners will win the American League West after falling just short of the playoffs in 2024. The strength of the Seattle Mariners is their starting rotation, which had a 3.38 earned run average last season. The problem for the Seattle Mariners last season was that they could not score. They fired their manager late last season and replaced Scott Service with a former player for them, Dan Wilson. The team finished strong under him last season and hopes to transfer that success to this season. Do you think a leadership change can turn things around for an organization?
Seattle Mariners Starting Rotation
Logan Gilbert seems to be the Ace for the Seattle Mariners. He did lead the American League in innings last season and he was a first-time All-Star. Though the ace of the team seems to change daily. Luis Castillo is now listed as the first starter. He came over from Cincinnati and is the veteran of this group of starting pitchers. He has posted an earned run average under 3.00 in seven of his eight major league seasons. Though a decline in his velocity on his fastball protends, a bit of a decline may be in order.
George Kirby is currently listed as the second starter for the Seattle Mariners. He has pitched 190 innings in each of the last two seasons with a league-leading walk rate. He is also very good and Seattle has three good starting pitchers in their rotation. Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo are starters number 4 and 5 for Seattle. Miller had a promising rookie season last year and promises to be good. Woo is a durability concern having dealt with many elbow problems over the years.
Seattle Mariners Bullpen
Andres Munoz is the closer for Seattle, and there are a few better. He was an all-star last year and throws his fastball over 100 MPH. Gregory Santos is probably the second option out of the bullpen for the Seattle Mariners. He will set up for Munoz after making only eight appearances last season. Collin Snider was a great second-half addition after coming over from the Kansas City Royals. Matt Brash is out after having Tommy John surgery in May 2024. Tayler Saucedo presents another bullpen option for Seattle after posting a respectable 3.49 earned run average in 2024. There are plenty of injuries in the Seattle bullpen so there should be spots out there available for Spring Training competition.
Catcher
Cal Raleigh is an excellent catcher for the Seattle Mariners. He is elite both defensively and with the bat. Defensively, he has shown improvement in each season, and he won a gold glove last season. Offensively, he blasted 32 home runs last season and drove home 100 runs. Mitch Graver is a capable backup to Raliegh. He did play 32 games last year at catcher but mostly was a designated hitter last season.
Infield
There were questions on the infield for Seattle heading into the off-season. Luke Raley will play first base after playing 41 games there last season. He is good but could be pushed by veteran Rowdy Tellez during Spring Training. Look out at that position for top prospect Tyler Locklear. Dylan Moore is the second baseman, but he is likely keeping the spot warm for prospect Ryan Bliss. J.P. Crawford is the shortstop, but the veteran has regressed somewhat over the last few years. Veteran Jorge Polanco is the primary third baseman as spring training begins, but look for Dlyan Moore here. He won a gold glove last year and played five positions.
Outfield
Randy Arozarna plays left field for Seattle, but he is not as productive as he was for the Tampa Bay Rays. Superstar Julio Rodriguez mans center field and has 40 home runs and 40 steal potential. Victors Robles, a former top prospect with the Washington Nationals disappointed there, but was a revelation in Seattle. He had a .328 batting average with 32 stolen bases last year. Mitch Haniger is a fan favorite but is showing serious signs of decline and will play this year in a backup role.
Designated Hitter
The Seattle Mariners hoped last season that Mitch Garver would be a full-time designated hitter last season. In his career, he has shown power and a very good eye, but he struggled mightily last season and may be getting old, fast. The designated hitter job is probably his to lose during Spring Training.
Management
Last season, Seattle wanted a different voice in the dugout after a 65-65 start, so they replaced Scott Service with Dan Wilson. Jerry DiPoto is the main decision maker and the team’s president of baseball operations. He has spent a decade in baseball management for the Diamondbacks, Angels, and Mariners. That was after a long career as a major league pitcher. The Seattle farm system is in good shape under him.
Conclusion
The Seattle Mariners are a deep team that will very likely win the American League West division. Under excellent leadership, Seattle will be good for years to come. The division’s weakness helps them.
