Mariners Off-Season Outlook after Two Payroll-Shedding Trades

Two big trades have been made so far this off-season for the Mariners; two trades that their fans have ridiculed the front office for making.  First was Eugenio Suarez to the Arizona Diamondbacks for a backup catcher and a reliever.  Then Jarred Kelenic, Marco Gonzales, and Evan White were sent to the Atlanta Braves for a AAAA-type pitcher (good in minors, bad in majors) and a solid relief pitching prospect.  Both moves have been seen as ways of shedding payroll.  Why would they do this?  Let me explain.

First off, there is no salary cap in MLB like there is in the NFL.  Owners are free to let their GMs spend as much as they want.  They'll just have to foot the bill for any salaries/bonuses they hand out.  It seems in the Mariners case that ownership has restricted the front office of Jerry Dipoto and Justin Hollander, who definitely would like to spend on a few big bats, but may have needed to shed some payroll first in order to be under a certain budget.  This isn't what fans of a team want to hear.  You should want your owner to allow your GM to spend as much as they need to in order to field the best team possible.  Limiting them only limits their chances of building a successful team.

But let's look at the good.  We haven't lost a ton.  Eugenio Suarez regressed in 2023 after a very solid 2022.  His OPS was down from .791 to .714, and his league-leading strikeout totals rose further.  He did play gold glove-caliber defense, but his offensive numbers still dropped, especially his power.  Jerry Dipoto made the comment that they wanted to be a more contact-focused offense, but my question is this: Why acquire high strikeout guys in the first place?  Jerry chose to trade for Suarez and Teoscar Hernandez, known high-strikeout guys.  Perhaps his focus has changed, but that's not altogether encouraging.  

And of the three players we sent to the Braves, none were really huge impact players.  Yes, Kelenic still has a bit of potential, but he had two and a half seasons to realize it with us and just couldn't.  He had one hot stretch in early 2023, but that's it.  He's been largely a bust offensively.  He also strikes out a lot, like Suarez.  Marco was a back-of-the-rotation starter, who was hurt a huge chunk of 2023.  He was the longest-tenured Mariner, but he had reached his ceiling, and his ceiling quite frankly wasn't good enough for our rotation anymore.  And Evan White battled injuries and offensive inconsistency and lost his job to Ty France.  He wasn't going to regain his spot.  

So, we shed some dead weight, honestly.  Suarez and Hernandez (who left in Free Agency) were occasional good middle-of-the-order hitters, but just struck out too much.  That led to too many times where all we needed was a ball put in play and they struck out.  Marco was a lot of money for little return, and Evan White and Kelenic could never fully figure out hitting with us.  

But now let's look at the bad.  There are a ton of holes on this team.  Both corner outfield spots, DH, third base, and second base all need to be addressed.  There's also the fact we could use another starter with Robbie Ray hurt (*cough cough* Blake Snell! *cough*).  We should not be going into 2024 with our middle-of-the-lineup players being France and Raleigh.  This team, as it stands now, would certainly regress in 2024 if no major additions were made.  

So we can only hope and pray as Mariners fans that Jerry and Justin have a plan.  I'm hoping that they were given the luxury of increasing payroll at least a bit.  Perhaps they did the math and realized the guys they wanted to sign or extend after a trade would require more financial room than they already had.  But just because they have their eyes on a few players, doesn't mean they'll get them.  I worry they may have made this room unnecessarily, and they might strike out on acquiring some big names.  This off-season, simply saying "We tried" is not good enough.  

Our dream, of course, is to see big name after big name acquired by the Mariners.  We want to see the social media posts of "Welcome to Seattle, ____!" for a lot of household names.  We do not want to see it for players along the likes of Tommy LaStella, Kolten Wong, and AJ Pollock.  Of course, not every good player is available in free agency, and some will require a trade to acquire.  I just hope we don't mortgage our future in the hopes of getting back to the post-season.  That was attempted and failed at too many times from 2002-2021.  

The rest of this off-season will be hugely telling for this team and its future.  Jerry and Justin have their work cut out for them.  I think this is the single most important off-season of their Mariners' careers because a failure this off-season will likely eventually cost them their jobs.  I'm sure they're aware of the magnitude of this off-season.  Simply put, an abysmal showing this off-season, and they should not be surprised if ticket and merch sales drop.  At that point, none of us should spend any extra money on this team.  But a good showing will bring this fanbase back around and instill hope for 2024.

2023 Outlook for Seattle Mariners Players

 The 2023 MLB season starts this Thursday, and while I've already made my predictions for the season, I have yet to talk in-depth about my favorite team, the Seattle Mariners.  I'm going to go through each of the players expected to make the Opening Day Roster and say what I expect from them.  I'm later going to use these expectations and give them grades at the All-Star break and at the end of the season.  

PITCHERS
Matt Brash: 
I expect Brash to have an improved 2023, becoming one of our more dominant relievers.  I'd love to see him either be THE guy we use to face tough bats, or be a guy we can stretch out to 2 innings if need be.

Luis Castillo:
Luis will be in his first full season as a Mariner, and he'll be our #1.  I expect Luis to keep us in a lot of low-scoring ball games (think that extra innings game against the Yankees last year).  I would love to see an All-Star nod for him, but not making it wouldn't be the biggest disappointment, either.

Diego Castillo: 
All I want is control from Diego from start to finish.  Now he's going to get wild at times, but his games where he loses control need to be few and far between.  And we cannot afford him to go on streaks (like he did at the start of last year) where his ERA is in the double digits.

Matt Festa:
Festa's a good, all-around reliever and I hope he stays that way.  He's like Brash but without as nasty of stuff.  I'd love to see him close a game or two.  

Chris Flexen: 
It looks like Flexen will start the year in the pen, but will fill in as a starter when necessary (double-headers, injuries, etc.). This will be HUGE.  As long as Flex doesn't let when or how he's pitching affect him, I'd look for him to be one of our more important pitchers this season.  He could also be a very valuable trade piece at the deadline.

Logan Gilbert:
Logan started out red-hot last April.  I was thinking Cy Young.  But alas, he cooled off.  I'm not expecting Logan to be THAT good, but to be near it and to be near it for longer would be ideal.  Imagine if Logan shows some overall signs of improvement, and is only the 3rd or 4th best pitcher on our team?  Wow...

Marco Gonzales: 
Because of the acquisition of pitching and promoting through the minors, Marco has gone from our #1 to our #5 in just three seasons.  Crazy.  And he's handled it like the ultimate professional.  I expect Marco to be one of the league's best #5 starters, consistently putting out quality (or near quality) starts of 6IP, 3 runs or less.  

Trevor Gott: 
I'm not expecting a ton from Gott, a newcomer.  I just don't want him to suck.  Be on par with Festa and Castillo, and I'll be happy.

George Kirby:
Kirby arrived after Gilbert, but his ceiling is higher.  I expect George to improve on 2022 and be our second best pitcher (if not best) in his first FULL season (he started in May last season).  I wouldn't be surprised to see an All-Star nod for George, which would be reason to give him an A at the break.  

Andres Munoz: 
It'll be interesting to see how Servais handles Munoz this season.  Hopefully he doesn't put too much on him, like he seemed to do in the playoffs.  If Munoz's stuff can be just as lethal as last season, I'll be happy.

Penn Murfee:
Unfortunately Penn had the distinction of being the pitcher that allowed the Astros go-ahead home run in the 18th inning of game 3 of the ALDS.  I don't think too many fans hold a grudge against him.  I hope he can shake that and that it doesn't affect how he pitches in 2023.

Robbie Ray:
Robbie has been working on a new pitch, I believe.  We need him to have a better 2023 than he did 2022.  He doesn't need to be a Cy Young candidate, just someone good enough to be in our Top 3 starters (which he wasn't last year).  

Paul Sewald: 
Sewald was our defacto closer last season, and he wasn't perfect, but he was solid.  I hope some of the burden is taken off of his shoulders and he's given some lower-impact innings.


CATCHERS
Tom Murphy: 
The Murph is back!  He was our starter, but now he'll be backing up The Big Dumper.  I expect Murph to put up solid numbers and start at least 40-60 games, hopefully.  

Cal Raleigh:
The Big Dumper had such a great 2022 season, the highlight of course being his playoff-clinching walk-off home run.  If he can improve his average slightly and still hit dingers, I'll be happy.

INFIELDERS
J.P. Crawford:
J.P. has had up-and-down seasons the last few years.  I hope his average can climb (with the ban of the shift) and he can hit well from the bottom of the lineup.  I hope he hits well enough for Servais to consider moving him up to 1 or 2, but I won't hold my breath.  I also want his defense to improve well enough to earn him a Gold Glove nomination.

Ty France:
Let's have a season where Ty plays fully healthy, ok?  The bigger bases will help with avoiding collisions.  I do expect Ty to have a great year if he can stay healthy.  A repeat All-Star appearance would be great, but the Mariners haven't had many of those in recent memory.  

Eugenio Suarez:
Suarez had as great of season as we could've hoped in 2022.  I hope him playing in the WBC doesn't mean he tires out at the end of the year.  If he can continue to be a force in the middle of our lineup, I'll be happy.

Kolten Wong: 
Wong is more of a defensive player than an offensive powerhouse, so I won't be counting on his bat too much.  But I would love to see his average jump a bit from last season.  I'm also looking forward to all the sweet double plays he and J.P. will turn.  

OUTFIELDERS
Sam Haggerty: 
"Swaggerty" was a vital tool for Servais last season, and I hope he continues to be.  We will likely see him take over for Hernandez in the outfield late in games (like he did for Winker last year).  I also hope to see him play some more second base, a position he is capable of handling.

Teoscar Hernandez:
Teoscar will hopefully be a force in the middle of our lineup, much like Suarez last season.  I'm looking forward to seeing him playing alongside his DR countryman in Julio.  Hopefully his defense won't be a liability and we'll see some clutch knocks from him.

Jarred Kelenic: 
Listen, JK seems to be as ready as ever.  He had a FANTASTIC spring.  He seems focused and locked in.  We know he has speed, defense, and a cannon arm.  If he can hit above .200 (.220+?) and hit dingers, (on pace for 20-30), he will be a consistent starter.  There's nothing more Mariner fans want than to see JK succeed in a big way.  

AJ Pollock: 
AJ will likely start against lefties in left field, giving Kelenic a breather every now and then.  He also might get a start at DH if no one else needs it.  I hope he can provide a veteran bat, hit somewhat decently, and give Servais a reason to keep him in the lineup.

Julio Rodriguez: 
Man, what a year he had last season.  Can we expect bigger things in 2023?  Why not?  Julio is the face of this team, and we are counting on him to be an even bigger force in 2023.  Provided he plays decently, a repeat 2023 All-Star appearance is a given, considering he is now a household name.  

Well, there you have it.  I know I didn't get too much into numbers, but I didn't want to just to get disappointed.  I know I also didn't predict them to make the playoffs, but if most of these guys can meet my reasonable expectations for them, I see no reason why they cannot prove me wrong.  I'm stoked and I'm looking forward to a great 2023 season.  GO MARINERS!!!!

My 2023 MLB Predictions

 It's about that time of year!  The MLB season officially gets underway later this month, so I got to get my predictions out.  

Like last year, I'm going to predict the order of each division (no win or loss totals), the wild card teams, and I'll run through the playoffs.  Last year, I correctly picked the Mariners to end their playoff drought, and I even got their playoff seeding right (#5)!  I'll also pick the team leaders for statistical categories and All-Stars.  Let's hope I do better in that department this year.  Just a refresher: I had Frazier leading in average, JP leading in stolen bases, Ray leading in ERA, and Winker, Haniger, and Ray as All-Stars.  Oops!  Without further ado, the 2023 MLB predicted standings:

NL EAST
1. Atlanta Braves
2. Philadelphia Phillies*
3. New York Mets*
4. Miami Marlins
5. Washington Nationals
Comment: In the highly competitive NL East (at least with the first three teams), I have the Braves winning the division.  They lost Dansby Swanson but still have a great core with Riley, Acuna, and Harris.  The Phillies will be a strong wild-card team after acquiring Trea Turner.  The Mets did get Verlander, but he shows his age, and the Mets take a small step back.  

NL CENTRAL
1. St. Louis Cardinals
2. Milwaukee Brewers
3. Chicago Cubs
4. Cincinnati Reds
5. Pittsburgh Pirates
Comment: This is likely the worst division in baseball.  The Brewers and Cardinals will fight for the division, but the Cards have too much firepower with Goldschmidt and Arenado.  The retirements of Pujols and Yadi will open up spots for younger players to emerge.  The Cubs will be slightly better, and could possibly challenge for a wild card spot. 

NL WEST
1. San Diego Padres
2. Los Angeles Dodgers*
3. San Francisco Giants
4. Arizona Diamondbacks
5. Colorado Rockies
Comment: My biggest surprise pick (standing-wise) is the Padres winning the NL West over the Dodgers.  The Dodgers will hold the division for most of the season, but a combination of a late Padres run and a Dodgers late collapse results in the Padres winning the division.  The Dodgers will still get a wild card.  The Giants will be decent again, but like the Cubs may still be a year away.

AL EAST
1. New York Yankees
2. Toronto Blue Jays*
3. Baltimore Orioles*
4. Tampa Bay Rays
5. Boston Red Sox
Comment: The Yankees win the division... again.  The Blue Jays again claim the top wild-card seed.  The Orioles leapfrog the Rays and claim the final wild-card spot.  The Orioles have a young core that will only get better.  The Red Sox lost Bogearts and well... they need to rebuild.

AL CENTRAL
1. Cleveland Guardians
2. Minnesota Twins
3. Chicago White Sox
4. Kansas City Royals
5. Detroit Tigers
Comment: The Guardians have a solid young core and aren't going anywhere.  The Twins should compete and will challenge for a wild card spot, but it won't be enough.  The White Sox will feel the loss of Jose Abreu.  

AL WEST
1. Houston Astros
2. Texas Rangers*
3. Seattle Mariners
4. Los Angeles Angels
5. Oakland Athletics
Comment: I hate to say it, but the Mariners are missing the playoffs.  I hope I'm wrong.  I think the Rangers signing DeGrom and getting Bruce Bochy as manager were huge.  I don't think the Mariners did enough this offseason, and it will come back to bite them.  Of course, the Astros aren't going anywhere, unfortunately.

So, the 2023 playoffs!  Perhaps a few surprise teams?  No Mariners... let's hope if they miss the playoffs (like I'm predicting) that it doesn't start a new drought for the team.

NL WILD CARD
(6) Mets at (3) Cardinals: Cardinals win
(5) Phillies at (4) Dodgers: Phillies win

AL WILD CARD 
(6) Orioles at (3) Guardians: Guardians win
(5) Rangers at (4) Blue Jays: Blue Jays win

NL DIVISIONAL ROUND
(5) Phillies at (1) Braves: Braves win
(3) Cardinals at (2) Padres: Padres win

AL DIVISIONAL ROUND
(4) Blue Jays at (1) Astros: Astros win
(3) Guardians at (2) Yankees: Guardians win

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Padres vs. Braves: Braves win
Guardians vs. Astros: Guardians win

WORLD SERIES
Guardians vs. Braves: Braves win in 7

Yep, a rematch of the 1995 World Series, 28 years later.  The Braves win again.  Now, who I think will lead certain categories for the M's:

Average: JP Crawford (resurgent season)
Home Runs: Julio Rodriguez
RBI: Ty France
Stolen Bases: Julio Rodriguez
Wins: Luis Castillo
Strikeouts: Robbie Ray
ERA: George Kirby
Saves: Paul Sewald
All-Stars: Julio Rodriguez, George Kirby

I'm going to do a further look at the M's, what I expect from each player, and perhaps go in depth as to why I think they'll miss the playoffs (barely).  Look for that soon!

So this is Brian from late 2023, the MLB season is now in the playoffs and I wanted to point out the biggest things I got right and the biggest things I got wrong:

Biggest things I got right:
- Mariners missing the playoffs.  I wish I wasn't right on this...!  Sigh.
- The Texas Rangers finishing 2nd to the Astros and snagging a wild card, along with two other AL East teams.  
- The Baltimore Orioles making the playoffs--although I did not see them winning the East!
- The Dodgers losing their first playoff series--again.  Although, I had them losing the wild card instead of losing in the divisional round.

Biggest things I got wrong: 
- Guardians winning their division and the AL Pennant--Whoops!
- Cardinals winning the NL Central--but I wasn't the only one to get this wrong
- The Padres winning the NL West over the Dodgers.  Hey, they lost a lot of close games, if you switch those, you basically get what I predicted.
- The Yankees winning the AL East while the Rays finish 4th.  Basically switch those two. 

Backyard Sports Series and their Characters

Some video games I grew up with were the Backyard Sports series from Humongous Entertainment.  I had the original Backyard Baseball, Backyard Baseball 2001, Backyard Soccer MLS, Backyard Football, and Backyard Basketball.  I loved each one, but Baseball was always my favorite.  

One thing they did great was creating these kids in the 90s that were diverse and had their own unique personalities.  There were some I loved more than others, and some I hardly ever used on any of my teams.  I'm going to go through each character and explain them, how much I used them, and anything else about the character that might occur to me.  Since I played Baseball the most, I'll mostly be referring to that particular series when referring to these characters and the teams I had.  Also, I'll say what positions they are best at in baseball.

This post was inspired by Kofie's IG videos on the Backyard characters.  Check him out!

Pablo Sanchez
Pablo's basically a meme at this point he's so popular and so good at everything.  Of course, I liked using him, but I tried not to since I felt that gave me an unfair advantage.  I still ended up having him on my teams a lot.  I related to Pablo since he was a shorter boy like I was.  
Baseball Position: Anywhere besides pitcher, catcher, and first base.  He's too short for first, and he's not a great pitcher.  He's wasted at home plate unless you want a fast catcher to get all the soft grounders.  And hit him in the Top 3 of your lineup.

Stephanie Morgan
Stephanie was always a tempting pick, at least for baseball.  And I usually tried to put her at shortstop.  In Backyard Baseball 2001, I often had an MLB shortstop on my team like A-Rod, Jeter, or Nomar, so I ended up putting Stephanie at 2nd or 3rd base.  She's good at any of those three spots.  
Baseball Position: Shortstop is her natural position, but if you already have a shortstop (such as an MLB one), then she's good at 2nd and 3rd base as well.  Catcher too.  She is featured as a catcher on the game art.  As for your lineup, if you're stacked with hitters, put her near the bottom, but if she's one of your better hitters, hit her first or second in the lineup.

Dante Robinson
Dante was another I liked having on any team due to his speed.  I didn't like how he wasn't the best hitter, which prevented me from selecting him to be on my baseball team sometimes.  But if I did, he usually occupied the leadoff spot because of that speed.  I also loved how he ate an entire hotdog in his walk-up animation.
Baseball Position: He's got speed, and he's left-handed, which screams outfield.  However, Dante is error-prone, so put him in an outfield spot where the ball won't get hit much.  He's not a bad pitcher, either.  He's a good leadoff hitter or a good bottom of the lineup hitter.

Kiesha Phillips
Kiesha is awesome, and she's as close to the game's female counterpart to Pablo as it gets.  She's fast, can hit, can field fairly well.  She's good in football at most positions and she is a good interior scorer in soccer or basketball.  I have had her on many teams because there's almost always a spot to put her.  
Baseball Position: She's good almost anywhere.  She's got the size for first and agility for the outfield, so I'd say one of those spots.  Having that combination of speed and power should mean Kiesha is hitting 2-4 in your lineup.

Kenny Kawaguchi
I'm gonna be honest, I did not have Kenny on many of my teams, not even for his pitching.  I had this notion that he wasn't as good as anyone else due to his disability.  Or maybe I tried playing with him in Baseball and really could not hit with him.  But as I got older, I did use him more and more, especially on the mound.
Baseball Position: He's a good pitcher and fields that position well.  He also is surprisingly good in most other spots other than first base.  I've made him work in the outfield a few times.  His bat isn't great, so stick him near the bottom of your lineup.

Vicki Kawaguchi
I guess poor hitting runs in the Kawaguchi family.  Vicky can run and field and even pitch if need be, but she can't hit.  If her swing somehow manages to make contact, it's likely not leaving the infield.  I rarely used her unless I wanted a team of all speed.
Baseball Position: She has tremendous fielding, so try to keep her in the infield, but not at first (too short and doesn't handle fast throws well).  She's a decent catcher, too.  Unless you can routinely make contact with her, stick her near the bottom of your lineup, where she can provide speed in front of the top of your lineup.

Ashley and Sidney Webber
I rarely used only one of the two Webber twins, as they are below average on their own.  But together, they boost each other up and are pretty solid all-around players.  I sometimes recruited both and had them play next to each other on the field, such as first and second base.  
Baseball Position: It depends on if they're together or not.  If not, stick the one you have at an infield position (avoid first base if possible).  If they're together, they're good anywhere on the field.  Literally anywhere, including pitcher and catcher and outfield.

Dmitri Petrovich
I loved Dmitri as a kid, but now I see he's not that great.  He's a solid hitter with decent wheels, but he cannot field.  I used him a bit in football, I think as my center/snapper (since he sort of looks the part).  If I used him in baseball, I stuck him in the outfield and prayed no one hit a ball to him.
Baseball Position: He's actually a pretty solid catcher as I've discovered.  His arm is pretty good, so outfield wouldn't be bad, either.  But avoid all other infield positions with Dmitri.  He's got a good combination of speed and power, so anywhere from 3-6 in your lineup is a good spot.  Just be careful not to put anyone too fast behind him, as Dmitri tires very quickly.

Ernie Steele
I used Ernie on occasion, mostly due to his incredible fielding.  He's also not a bad pitcher.  I strongly considered Steele Stadium as my home field if I drafted Ernie.  I always stuck him near the bottom of my lineup due to his less-than-average hitting.
Baseball Position: First base is definitely the best spot for him; he's tall and has great fielding.  If you've already got a first baseman, I'd suggest the outfield.  He should hit in the middle or bottom of the lineup (5-8).

Kimmy Eckman
The only time I ever selected Kimmy was when I used her backyard as my field.  She was awful without it.  She ended up being one of my least-used players as a result.
Baseball Position: It depends on if you're at Eckman Yards or not.  If you are, she's good at any infield position (other than 1st) and any outfield spot.  If you're not, stick her at 2nd and give her a good shortstop to work with.  Hit her high if she's playing at her home field (1-4), or low if she's not (7-9).  

Reese Worthington
I used Reese fairly often in Baseball, mostly due to the fact that he was the lone shorter blonde boy (like me).  I also used him as my kicker in Football because I think he had a good kicking skill.  But he was not great at hitting or running, so I lost interest in him quickly.
Baseball Position: He's decent at most spots.  I like him at catcher or middle infield the most.  He should be hitting near the bottom of the lineup (6-9).

Mikey Thomas
I used Mikey Thomas a good amount in Baseball due to his amazing bat.  Outside of Pablo, there isn't a better power bat in the game.  Unfortunately, he's slow as hell, so it was basically all or nothing with him.  One good thing I noticed was his arm--he has a cannon for an arm.  So I stuck him in the outfield, third base, or catcher.
Baseball Position: Mikey says he likes to play the outfield, but be careful as he's pretty slow.  I'd prefer to use him at 3rd base or catcher to throw out runners with that cannon of an arm he has.  And put him in the heart of your lineup (3-5) so he can drive in your faster players.

Tony Delvecchio
I know Tony gets praise for being a solid, all-around player, but I actually rarely picked him.  He's a jack of all trades, but a master of none.  I didn't like that, and still don't.  He's a good line drive hitter, at least.  I also didn't pick him a lot since he doesn't pair well with his sister.
Baseball Position: He's good most places, even first base, to an extent.  I like him at 3rd base due to his good arm.  Hit him somewhere near the middle (5-7) as he might be able to drive people in.

Angela Delvecchio
Oddly, she has the exact name as an offscreen character on the TV show, Friends (mentioned in Season 1).  Anyway, she was usually my pick for pitcher.  I loved her on the mound.  She was slow, though, especially once she got tired from pitching.  If she's tired and she's on the beach field, it takes her FOREVER to get to first, and literally any batted ball results in an out.
Baseball Position: She should be pitching whenever possible.  However, if she must be stuck elsewhere, I'd say 2nd or catcher.  Her fielding sucks for anywhere else.  Hit her in the middle like her brother, but be careful not to put anyone fast after her, as she gets slow and tired real quick.

Jocinda Smith
Jocinda is one I used a lot as a kid but not much as I got older.  I realized her hitting was misleading.  She can sort of make contact, but she does not have much power.  She's a good defensive first baseman, but that's about it.  I think she's perhaps the most overrated Backyard character.  MVP my butt.
Baseball Position: For the most overrated character, I'd say 2nd, catcher, or outfield.  She's not got a great arm.  Hit her in the middle of your lineup (5-7), and hope you get lucky.

Pete Wheeler
Pete was almost always a must for any of my teams due to his speed.  He's the fastest kid, even faster than Dante.  He was my first choice to be leadoff hitter on most of my teams.  He's also surprisingly adept in the field (probably outfield though).  
Baseball Position: Outfield for sure, preferably center field.  Gotta take advantage of that speed.  Hit him first in your lineup.  There's literally no other spot.  He's the best leadoff hitter in the game.

Billy Jean Blackwood
I did not use Billy Jean very much.  She could sort of hit (like Jocinda), but that was about it.  She wasn't slow, but not fast.  She couldn't pitch.  And her fielding was below average.  I just never saw much appeal to using Billy Jean.
Baseball Position: First base is her best position, but if you can't put her there, I'd say a corner outfield spot, as she doesn't have great speed.  Hit her somewhere in the middle of your lineup.

Marky Dubois
I wasn't the biggest fan of Marky's, either.  He was slow, and his hitting was overrated.  I noticed his speed was made even worse on the dirt and sand fields.  I only picked him when I wanted a challenge.
Baseball Position: He's slow, so I'd say catcher or maybe first or second base.  His arm is average, so you could maybe put him at 3rd.  Hit him near the bottom of your lineup due to his lack of speed (6-8).

Sally Dobbs
I actually wasn't a huge fan of Sally's, as well, due to her personality.  She was domineering and bossy and she reminded me of Angelica from Rugrats.  Although I did use her a bit, even with Ronny her brother, as she got a huge boost when he was on the team with her.  
Baseball Position: She's a decent pitcher, especially if she's got her brother Ronny on her team.  Otherwise, she's good at most spots as her arm is decent, and she's got at least average speed.  Third base is good for her too.  I'd say hit her anywhere from 2-7 based on her boosts/reductions for the game.

Ronny Dobbs
Ronny was one I actually used the most when I shouldn't: With his sister, Sally.  His stats are so nerfed he's basically useless.  But I stuck him in the outfield (or 2nd) and at the bottom of the lineup and hoped he didn't hurt my team too much.  Sally was just a beast when he was there.  
Baseball Position: He's awful in the outfield, so stick him at 2nd or catcher and hope he doesn't get the ball hit to him.  Put him near the bottom of the lineup, although his bat may surprise you. 

Achmed Khan
I often chose Achmed for my team (at least my Baseball team).  He's a great hitter and speed and defense are ok.  He's one of the best all-around hitters in the game with power to all fields.  I've never settled on a position for him defensively, as I think I've had him at third, catcher, and all outfield spots.
Baseball Position: Like I said, he's good at catcher, third, and outfield.  He's even decent at the middle infield spots.  Hit him in the heart of your lineup due to his great bat (3-5).

Amir Khan
Amir, Achmed's younger brother, is also a good player.  I didn't choose him quite as often as he's not quite as good of a hitter as his brother.  But he's a really good pitcher and was my second pitcher choice after Angela.  
Baseball Position: Preferably pitcher.  He's like Angela where he's not fast and is very error-prone, so if he has to be put somewhere else, maybe 2nd or a corner outfield spot.  Hit him in the middle of the lineup (5-7).

Gretchen Hasselhoff
I rarely chose Gretchen because, along with Vicki, she's one of the worst hitters in the game.  She will strike out.  But unlike Vicki, Gretchen's speed is only decent.  It's not really fast like Vicki.  And Gretchen is a mediocre fielder and isn't a great pitcher, so I never saw the point in using her.
Baseball Position: She's ok at some spots, like 2nd base, shortstop, and the outfield.  She's actually a decent pitcher with a good left hook pitch.  I'd stick her at one of the last positions in the lineup (8 or 9).

Jorge Garcia
Another I rarely used was Jorge, and not just due to his mediocre attributes.  His pompous nature also put me off.  He's a decent line drive hitter, but not really above average at anything else.  
Baseball Position: He's actually a surprisingly good fielder and got a good arm, so he's good at 3rd, shorstop, or catcher.  Hit him in the middle-ish part of your lineup.

Luanne Lui
I think I actually used Luanne a lot.  She's maybe got the best combination of speed and pitching in the game.  She's not an awful hitter, and if she can just make contact, she can get on base.  Her fielding sucks, but I usually tried sticking her somewhere she wouldn't hurt me too much.  I think I remember she was good in football, too, as a running back (don't think she could catch).
Baseball Position: She's a good pitcher, but if not there, try catcher or 2nd base.  I'd avoid the outfield with her.  Hit her either near the top (1-2) or the bottom of your lineup (8-9), depending on if you have a better hitter that also has speed.

Maria Luna
I never knew about Maria playing better with pink uniforms as I never chose pink uniforms.  So I didn't use Maria a ton.  I remember using her as a middle infielder on occasion, as her defense and arm are solid.  She's got good wheels, too.  But her hitting leaves a bit to be desired.
Baseball Position: She's a solid middle infielder, but that's about it.  Maybe catcher?  Stick her near the bottom of your lineup.

Lisa Crockett
Last is Lisa, who again, I didn't use much.  She is kind of like the female Tony; solid at a lot of things, but master of none.  I tended to favor players who at least mastered something, whether that be pitching, hitting, or speed.  (Rarely did I get someone who was only a master of fielding).  Her standoffish nature also didn't really make me want to put her on my team.
Baseball Position: She's surprisingly good at a lot of positions, including pitcher and first base.  She could play just about anywhere.  She also could lead off if you really don't have anyone else.  If you do, she's a very solid 7-9 hitter.

Twenty-One Years in the Making

 The 2022 Mariners, barring the most miraculous finish by Baltimore and the most epic of collapses by them, will make the playoffs for the first time in twenty-one years.  The playoff drought for this team will not see its 21st birthday if you count from the last playoff game in Mariner's history, which was October 22, 2001.  Just one more win by the Mariners and one more loss from the Baltimore Orioles will make it so it is impossible for Baltimore (or any team behind them, for that matter) can supplant the Mariners from a Wild Card playoff spot.

I have waited twenty-one long and painful years for this.  As a Mariner fan, I have endured ineptitude, horrible trades and free agent acquisitions and have always been disappointed by September at the latest.  It's going to be weird.  The Mariners in the playoffs seems so abnormal in today's world, like seeing someone still using an iPod shuffle or a Microsoft Zune.  But the Mariners making the playoffs has to become a new fad or trend, and one that will hopefully stick around longer than the Zune did.

It's hard to express my emotions right now.  To be honest, part of me is half-expecting to wake up and realize this was a dream and see the 2022 Mariners with a losing record.  So it might take a while for it to sink in with me.  

What would also help is having a home playoff game.  Playoff baseball in Seattle is like no other.  Unfortunately, there hasn't been enough of it in MLB history.  But playoff baseball in Seattle is, for lack of a better term, electric.  The Kingdome rocked in the 1990s with pennant fever.  T-Mobile park has shown signs of what the players have dubbed "The electric factory."  But imagine if the Mariners did damage and won a playoff series at home.  

Unfortunately, with the way the playoffs are currently designed, the Mariners would have to get the top wild card spot in order to guarantee themselves home playoff games.  Otherwise, they'd have to win their wild card series on the road, likely against Cleveland or Toronto.  Neither is an easy task.  So while the Mariners may end their playoff drought, they still might not get to host a playoff game, and that streak could continue.  

But I'm sure many Mariners fans, myself included, would take this situation in a heartbeat.  After twenty-one years, you'll just take any modicum of success your team can achieve.  To have the Mariners in a playoff series, even if it's entirely on the road, is something I've dreamed about for twenty-one years.  When I watch them play in the playoffs, it's going to feel so surreal, on the verge of feeling unreal, almost.  

I'm so stoked these guys are on the verge of ending this drought, and I wish them the absolute best for the rest of the season and in the playoffs.  Regardless of the finish (provided we clinch the playoffs), this 2022 season will always be looked back at fondly.  The playoff drought now is longer than the one this team endured to start its existence.  And you know what?  It's about damn time we made the playoffs.  Go Mariners.

The worst and best WAR seasons I have seen for the Mariners

 I thought it'd be fun to make two teams of Mariners players.  One team will be the worst I've ever seen in terms of WAR (Wins Above Replacement) and the other team will be the best.  For a player to be considered, they had to have played the most at that position for the Mariners that year.  I'll comment on what I remember and possibly compare them to today's players.  First off, the worst Mariners team:

Catcher: Miguel Olivo, 2005 (-1.0 WAR)
I vaguely remember Olivo, who we obtained in the Freddy Garcia trade along with Jeremy Reed.  He wasn't a great hitter (although he had some pop), and his defense really lacked.

First Base: Richie Sexson, 2007 (-1.1 WAR)
Richie Sexson started out great, but sure fell off quickly.  His average plummeted and the strikeouts skyrocketed.  He just became a huge liability in the lineup.  The 2007 team tied with the Tigers for the best record for a team to not make the playoffs in the AL, so one must wonder if Sexson had been competent this season, would they have made the playoffs?

Second Base: Bret Boone, 2005 (-1.1 WAR)
Already the second member from the 2005 team.  Watching Boonie's downfall was heartbreaking, and watching his press conference after his release was even more so.  

Shortstop: Yuniesky Betancourt, 2009 (-0.6 WAR)
Boy, Betancourt struggled towards the end of his Mariners career.  He had marginal success in Milwaukee afterward.  But his last year or two here were awful, because he was bad at the plate and at defense, which you cannot afford at shortstop.

Third Base: Chone Figgins, 2011 (-0.9 WAR)
Is this any surprise?  Chone Figgins is often regarded as one of the worst free agent signings in Mariners history.  His asset of being able to make solid contact and getting on base vanished once he came to the Mariners.  

Left Field: Brian L. Hunter, 1999 (-1.0 WAR)
I vaguely remember Brian Hunter, but I do know he underperformed here compared to what he did in Detroit.  He no longer was a capable leadoff hitter.  The next closest was current Mariner Jesse Winker, who is on pace to have the worst WAR season since Hunter.  Hopefully, Winker doesn't do that.

Center Field: Jarred Kelenic, 2021 (-1.8 WAR)
Yikes... is all I can say.  Kelenic still has yet to figure it out (at least offensively), and you have to wonder if he ever will.  He's not terrible defensively, but when compared to Julio, Griffey, Cameron, and Gutierrez, he's not in their league.  

Right Field: Wladimir Balentien, 2008 (-0.6 WAR)
This year Ichiro was in center, prompting the M's to trot out a few guys, and the guy who got the most opportunities was Wladimir Balentien.  Boy, did he struggle.  I know he struck out a ton.  I also know he went overseas to play a bit after playing with the M's.

Designated Hitter: Carl Everett, 2006 (-0.6 WAR)
For an organization that had arguably the greatest DH of all time, they sure have had some awful ones in the past 20 years: Everett, but also Jose Vidro, Jesus Montero, Jack Cust, Corey Hart, and Tim Lopes.  So far, Abraham Toro has started the most in 2022 and would be added to that list, but he'll likely be eclipsed by either Kyle Lewis or Carlos Santana, thank goodness.

Total WAR: -8.7 WAR 
Seasons with multiple players: 2005

All right, now for the best (that I have seen)

Catcher: Mike Zunino, 2017 (3.4 WAR)
Mike had an interesting blend of great defense and power.  He just couldn't hit for an average or ever hit anything less than a home run.  But 2017 was a special year for him, one where I think he should've been an All-Star.

First Base: John Olerud, 2001 (5.2 WAR)
John Olerud was a model of consistency.  He had such a great approach at the plate, and I don't recall him ever making an error at first.  

Second Base: Bret Boone, 2001 (8.8 WAR)
We'll be seeing a few from 2001, and Boonie's 2001 campaign is still considered the best by a 2nd baseman in team history.  Robinson Cano gave him a run for his money in 2016, finishing with a 7.3 WAR.

Shortstop: Alex Rodriguez, 2000 (10.4 WAR)
Sure he's not well-liked in Seattle, but what he did before he bolted for the dollar signs was just incredible.  We still haven't seen a shortstop have this great a start to their career in baseball since, although Fernando Tatis Jr. comes close.  

Third Base: Kyle Seager, 2016 (6.7 WAR)
Seager is now considered the best third baseman in team history, so it's no surprise one of his seasons is here.  He had such a great glove (he honestly should have won more than one gold glove) and a sweet lefty pull swing.

Left Field: Raul Ibanez, 2006 (4.5 WAR)
Raul Ibanez had such a weird career.  How weird?  He was more productive in his 40s than in his 20s.  He might be the only hitter ever that you can say that about.  He was in the prime of his career this season, and he had such a great left-handed bat.  His defense... was ok.

Center Field: Franklin Gutierrez, 2009 (6.6 WAR)
Surprised to not see Griffey?  Well, for this list, I'm only going back to 1999, which is far back as I remember watching Mariners games on the regular.  And Griffey's WAR in 1999 was 4.9.  Guti, meanwhile, was such a great defender that almost any fly ball to center was going to land in his glove, and he also hit for a pretty high average, too.  Julio, the M's current centerfielder, has a chance to pass 6.6 WAR this season, but if he doesn't, I'd put money on him doing it in 2023.

Right Field: Ichiro Suzuki, 2004 (9.2 WAR)
We all remember how great Ichiro was this season, setting the all-time single-season hits record.  He carried the 2004 Mariners, although they had their first losing season in 5 years.  

Designated Hitter: Edgar Martinez, 2000 (5.7 WAR)
Of course it's Edgar!  How could it not be?  Edgar had his last two great seasons in 2000 and 2001, and 2000 was slightly better.  Nelson Cruz came close in the mid 2010's to matching Edgar's WAR, but fell short.  And of course, anyone else to be in this spot has just massively struggled.

Total WAR: 60.5 WAR

Seasons with multiple players: 2001, 2000

I think it's safe to say a team of the players first on this list would likely lose 100 games or more, and a team of the players second on this list would likely shatter the 116-win record.  But that's baseball; you don't always get every player at their peak.  But when you get one or two, boy, it sure is special.

Thoughts on Castillo Trade, M's Future

Just a few days ago, I warned the Mariners and Jerry Dipoto not to give up too much for a player like Juan Soto.  Unfortunately, they gave up a lot, and not even for Juan Soto.  They sent four prospects (3 of the top 5 in the Mariners' system) to the Cincinnati Reds for Luis Castillo, an All-Star pitcher.  He's a borderline top 10 starter in the game and still should have plenty of productive years left.  He is only signed through 2023, so the Mariners may only get a season and a half out of him.  Was this an overpay?  It will all depend on how things shake out.

I understand that you have to give up a lot to get star players.  But man, losing 3 of your top 5 prospects does hurt.  The winner of this trade will be determined by how much Castillo can help the Mariners toward a playoff birth and run and how well those prospects do with the Reds.  

I get it.  The Mariners are desperate for a playoff berth.  I am desperate for that, too.  But if the Mariners make the playoffs once or twice, each followed by early playoff exits, and another drought ensues, was it worth it?  I'd say it hardly was.  However, Castillo will solidify a very good rotation even further for at least the next year and a half, and as the saying goes, you can never have too much good pitching.

The good thing is that 99.9% of prospects are not a sure thing.  We weren't even sure Julio Rodriguez was a sure thing going into this season.  Jarred Kelenic was a highly rated prospect and has still not panned out, and he might never.  At this point, I wish Jerry Dipoto had traded him earlier while his value was still high.  That's what he did with our prospects he sent for Castillo.  He sent them away while their value was still high.  

Obviously, if you trade a prospect that becomes a perennial All-Star or Hall of Famer and don't get the value in return, it becomes an awful trade and one of the worst in franchise history.  But that's the risk you take with trades in MLB.  Every team in the majors has made a huge trade that they regret.  

As Mariner fans, we can only hope Castillo leads us to the playoffs, and we go on a playoff run, and the prospects we sent away only have marginally successful careers at best.  If we aren't able to end the playoff drought and the prospects have great careers with the Reds helping them get to the playoffs, that's going to be too much for us Mariner fans to handle.  We've seen this happen too many times before.  

I hope to look back on this trade and not feel remorse like I do so many other trades in Mariner history.  I often wonder what Mariners' history would've been like if we had held on to the likes of Jason Varitek, Derek Lowe, David Ortiz, and Adam Jones.  

Before I fail to mention, the first full game played after the announcement of this trade, Julio Rodriguez went down with a hand injury and went on the 10-day IL the day after.  The need for hitting became even more apparent.  But Jerry Dipoto decided to go with pitching.  I'm not wholely against that idea because pitching often wins in the playoffs, but if the bats go quiet due to a lack of depth and injuries, that's going to really hurt the M's chances of even making the playoffs.  

We will know in 2 months whether this trade is starting to be worth it or it's looking like another dud trade to add to the list in Mariners history.  Let's hope for the former.

The Mariners (and Jerry Dipoto) must be cautious, mostly with regards to Soto

 The trade deadline rapidly approaches for the 2022 MLB season, and as always happens, players' names circulate among the rumor mill.  The Seattle Mariners, in contention after their 14-game winning streak, will likely be looking to add a piece or two.  The biggest name on the market is one Juan Soto, an outfielder for the Washington Nationals.  He's still only 23 and rejected a gigantic contract extension, meaning he wants out of Washington (D.C.).  He's arguably one of the most valuable trade pieces ever on the market.  And the Mariners are rumored to be one of 4 teams strongly interested in him.  I say this to Mariners Team President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto and the rest of the Mariners front office: Do not sell the farm for Soto.  He is one player.  What if something happens to him?  

The Mariners must be cautious.  We have built a strong core, one that is as strong as we have seen in the past twenty years.  To sell a huge chunk of it for one player is risky at best and foolish at worst.  What if a health condition is discovered in Juan Soto a year or two from now?  With the news of Mike Trout, it makes you want to be cautious about what you give up for certain stars.  Or what if he decides he doesn't like Seattle?  That would completely derail this rebuild, one that has taken eight years so far.  

Not to mention, the Mariners already have a Dominican young star in Julio Rodriguez.  They also have a plethora of other outfielders, just waiting for a pair to be healthy and playing well simultaneously.  Those outfielders include Jesse Winker, Kyle Lewis, Jarred Kelenic, and Mitch Haniger.  Surely 2 of those could pan out and be very capable players.  Yes, trading for Soto would acquire someone we wouldn't even have to worry about.  But is ownership really willing to pay both Julio and Soto contracts that would total close to a billion dollars?  

The best players in Mariners history almost all come from the draft or they were signed as amateur free agents.  Griffey, A-Rod, and Seager were all drafted.  Felix and Julio were signed as amateur free agents.  Ichiro was brought from Japan.  The one exception being Randy Johnson, but he was not highly touted when the Mariners acquired him from Montreal.  My point is, trades or even free-agent acquisitions hardly have been huge successes in this team's history, especially when acquiring big name stars.  

If the Mariners could somehow get Soto for a handful of mid-range prospects, and maybe Kelenic or Lewis, I'd say go for it. But the Nationals apparently want a team's top 3 or 4 prospects.  Jerry Dipoto and the M's simply cannot afford to blow this up for one player.  Are all the top prospects the Mariners would trade for Soto going to live up to their billing?  Maybe not.  But it's an almost certainty that most of them will be big contributors in a few years.  

I just hope Dipoto is cautious.  I'd rather miss the playoffs barely again this year and go into next year stronger and hungrier than trade for Soto and have a quick playoff exit.  I want to end the playoff drought just as much as any Mariners fan, but not at the cost of our future.  

Grading each Mariner so far in 2022

The 2022 Mariners season is quickly nearing its halfway point, and this season has been less than ideal.  It seems the Mariners have taken a step back, although there have been a lot of things to not go there way.  One is injuries.  Mitch Haniger has missed time with two injuries, Kyle Lewis came back for about a week only to miss significant time with a concussion, and we have been without two relievers we were counting on, Casey Sadler and Ken Giles.  

Although the season is not over nor is it a "lost cause", there's still a lot of reason for concern.  However, there's also reason for optimism.  I'm going to give each player that's seen significant time a letter grade, and assess their overall games based on their expectations coming into 2022.  First off, Lewis, Haniger, and Murphy all get an "incomplete" due to being injured for a majority of the season so far.

Hitters

Cal Raleigh: C+
Cal got off to an extremely slow start offensively, causing him to be sent down.  However, his bat woke up, and he's done a very good job of handling our pitching staff.  A lot of Logan Gilbert's success has to be attributed to Cal.

Luis Torrens: D
He's been ok, his bat seems to very slowly be waking up.  His defense does seem to have improved from last season.  But as of mid-June he is still looking for his first home run of 2022.

Ty France: A+
Could we have asked anything more from Ty?  His defense has been great, and his offense has been even better.  He's been drawing comparisons to Edgar Martinez, and for good reason.  His average has dropped while his strikeouts have ticked up in recent weeks, so he's a borderline A/A+, but he's definitely the one lock to be an All-Star on the roster.

Adam Frazier: D+
He was expected to provide a high avg/OBP bat at the top of the lineup, but he has not.  His average has hung around the .230/.240 range, and we were expecting at least 50 points higher.  He's been riddled with awful luck, hitting straight to defensive players.  His defense has been adequate.  

JP Crawford: A-
JP is one of the bright spots on this team, and he easily could be slumping after signing a contract extension at the start of the year, but he really hasn't.  If anything, his defense has taken a hit, causing him to be near the top in errors by an AL shortstop.  But he's still made some great defensive plays.  

Eugenio Suarez: B
Suarez was almost an afterthought in the trade that netted him and Winker, but he has been definitely the better piece so far.  He's leading the M's in home runs currently and likely will the rest of the year, barring injury.  He's shown a propensity to strike out too much, especially in high-leverage situations.  But his defense has been outstanding, hardly a drop-off (if at all) from Seager.

Jesse Winker: D
Winker, along with Frazier, was acquired due to his ability to hit for a high average.  And also like Frazier, he has struggled.  His average is even lower.  Some worry about his lack of power numbers, but he never has hit too many, only hitting 24 last season.  One good thing has been his eye, as he leads the team in walks.  His defense leaves a lot to be desired, as there have been more than a few fly balls to left that a more athletic outfielder could have gotten to while Jesse did not.

Julio Rodriguez: A-
Julio got off to a slow start, which wasn't wholly unexpected, but that was partly due to the awful strike calls he was getting called against him.  But he heated up in May, coinciding with his first Major League home run.  He has relished hitting in the middle of the lineup.  But the best parts of Julio's game has been his baserunning and defense.  He currently leads the majors in stolen bases and has played great defense in center.

Jarred Kelenic: D-
It's a shame Kelenic wasn't able to produce, because come June the team has definitely needed him.  Fortunately, Trammell has done somewhat decently in his place.  But given that Jarred made his debut last year and had a chance to work on things this offseason, his slow start is concerning.

Abraham Toro: F
Just about every Mariners fan is done with Toro at this point, and I'll be shocked if something doesn't happen to him before the All-Star break (unless he miraculously catches fire).  He's provided some late-inning pop, and yes, if it wasn't for him, we lose that game to the Red Sox where he tied it up with 2 outs.  But so often we have asked him to come through and been let down.  I think Scott's getting tired of Toro's inability to come through.

Dylan Moore: C+
Dylan has been about what we expected.  We did not expect to see him start so much in the outfield, but injuries and Kelenic's struggles have necessitated it.  He's been adequate.  He did have a walk-off hit against the Red Sox.  And his defense and base running has been above average.  

Taylor Trammell: C
Taylor's done well in his short stint, but hasn't really quite broken through yet.  He has played solid D.  It's unfortunate that Servais feels the need to pinch-hit Moore or Toro for him every time he's scheduled to face a lefty.  How's a young left-handed hitter supposed to get better if he is never allowed to face lefties?

Sam Haggerty: C-
Not much to say about Sam, and he's really just a body to have on the Major League roster while we wait for guys to heal up.  He's been good defensively, but his bat leaves a lot to be desired.

Pitchers

Robbie Ray: C-
Given his expectations, we were expecting more from Robbie Ray.  He's given the Mariners length, pitching the most innings this far.  But he's also allowed a lot of home runs, 14, which is 3rd most in the AL.  His last start where he went 7 scoreless is promising after he developed a 2-seam fastball and used that effectively.  

Logan Gilbert: A
Logan has taken a big step forward in year 2.  Imagine if Kelenic, who was called up last year at the same time as Gilbert, looked as good as Gilbert does now.  Anyway, Logan has been mostly dominant, winning AL pitcher of the month for April, and for good reason.  His ERA was under 1 for that month!  

Marco Gonzales: B-
Marco's been fairly inconsistent, but when he's on, he's on.  His maturity and poise have shown.  If he can locate his change-up and get calls from the umpire, he's very hard to hit off of.  

Chris Flexen: C+
If there was ever a guy who was 2-8 who was actually pitching well, it's Flexen.  Flexen has gotten some awful run support, forcing him to leave games barely behind or tied, despite many quality starts. 

Matt Brash: D+
Is it fair to count Brash?  Eh, I'd say so.  He started off fairly well, but then hitters started to figure him out while at the same time he was losing a bit of control.  He also failed to reach 6 innings pitched in each of his 5 starts, something that cannot be said for any other pitcher to start a game this year.

George Kirby: B-
George sure had a nice debut, but unfortunately, it did take him a little while to get his first Major League win.  He definitely looks better than Brash, and hopefully, it won't take him that long to get win #2.

Paul Sewald: C+
I've gone from trusting Paul each time out to waiting with baited breath each time he pitches.  I think Servais shouldn't use him in high-leverage situations for a while, not until he gets his control back.  Seawald has definitely cost us a couple games at least.

Penn Murfee: A
I remember first seeing Penn, first thinking he had a weird name, then thinking, "Well here's a guy that will probably be sent back to Tacoma pretty soon."  Boy, was I wrong.  He has been magnificent, although his most recent outing against the Twins was not pretty.

Diego Castillo: B-
It's certainly been a tale of two seasons for Castillo.  He was looking so bad at one point that I was surprised he wasn't DFA'ed.  But he righted his ship and is now the most dominant arm in the pen.  

Andres Munoz: C
The velocity has been nice, but the control and the amount of hits off of Munoz leave a lot to be desired.  He's still young, so I can't be too harsh, but he's certainly got potential to be a dominant arm in the pen.

Matt Festa: C
Like Castillo, Festa had his struggles early on, but he has quietly become one of the more reliable arms in the pen.  

Erik Swanson: B+
When you have gone 2+ months into a season and you can't think of a time when a reliever has blown a game, you know he's doing at least somewhat well.  Swanson has been a surprising bright spot in the pen.  Shame we lost him for a bit to injury, but fortunately, he's back now.

Sergio Romo: C-
Romo has been wildly inconsistent, with at times looking like his old self and at other times looking like the old guy that no one wanted.  

Drew Steckenrider/Anthony Misiewicz/Ryan Borucki/Roenis Elias/Anyone else: D
I didn't think it was fair to count each of these guys as individual grades, as none of them have been with the big league club all season.  The rest of the bullpen here has been mostly disappointing. 

So with all those grades, what is the team's GPA?  Well I did the math, and the GPA is...

C+.  Well, if the team has a losing record, why do they have an above average grade?  Remember, this is based on expectations for each player, so players like Julio, Penn Murfee, and Erik Swanson have higher grades than if I were to grade their seasons not considering expectations.  I think this is about right, and if I were to wholly grade everyone without taking expectations into consideration, I'd say their grades drop one spot on average (so a B to a B-, for example).  That would mean the team GPA is a C, which makes sense.  Were the Mariners expected to run away with the division?  No.  But some bad luck and injuries have really hurt them, because otherwise this team has a winning record and is in the hunt for a wild card spot.  

I might grade these guys around the end of the season.  Hopefully, we'll have a GPA a bit higher next time.

Resetting my Expectations for the Seattle Mariners

 Boy, I've talked about the Mariners a lot on here, haven't I?  Just do a search for "Mariners" on this blog, and you'll see what I'm talking about.  I care a lot about them; they're one of my top two favorite sports teams.  I've followed them passionately for almost 25 years, and boy has my loyalty been tested.  The 2022 season is about to begin and there's something this team has that they haven't had too often the last 20 years: Expectations.  This team is expected to improve, succeed, and finally end that now 21-year postseason drought.  But I've learned from past experiences to not get my hopes up too high with the Mariners, because I always seem to be let down.

Honestly, I'm torn.  Part of me wants to be super excited, get behind this team, and stay as optimistic as I can.  However, the other part of me knows if I get too excited and optimistic that I will be let down again, and to be let down after being that optimistic is just heartbreaking.  

One thing that makes me not want to be optimistic is the fact that the Mariners outperformed last season.  They relied upon winning a lot of close games, and when they lost, they lost bad.  They ended up with a -51 run differential, meaning they should have won closer to 76 games than the 90 they ended up with.  I fully expect that run differential to improve, but that doesn't mean their win total will.  Many times in sports, teams regress the year following a season they were "lucky".  It happens in the NFL and it happens in Major League Baseball.  

We will learn a lot from this season.  We will learn if this team will continue to be on the rise or if they take a step back.  We'll learn about Jarred Kelenic, and if he is going to make something of himself or not.  We'll get to see Julio Rodriguez and see what he can do.  If anything, I'm just excited to see new faces and see what this team can do with expectations.  

I'll likely write another blog on the Mariners around the mid-way point of the season, giving my thoughts on the team.  I hope to be writing about the amazing start the Mariners have, how they're leading the AL West, and start envisioning a playoff berth for the first time in 21 years.  Should be fun!

2022 MLB Predictions

 I'm not going to lie, there was a part of me that thought the 2022 MLB season might not happen.  The lockout seemed to go on forever, but fortunately the two sides came together and reached an agreement.  

I'm going to quickly predict the order of each division, knowing in all likelihood I will be wrong about most.  But hey, it's still fun to do.  But I'm not going to pick Wins and Losses like I've done in the past, because all that matters is the order and who makes the playoffs.  Wild card teams will have an * by their name.

NL East
1. Atlanta Braves
2. New York Mets
3. Philadelphia Phillies
4. Washington Nationals
5. Miami Marlins
Comment: No wild card teams here as this remains the weakest division in the NL.  

NL Central
1. Milwaukee Brewers
2. St. Louis Cardinals*
3. Chicago Cubs
4. Pittsburgh Pirates
5. Cincinnati Reds
Comment: The poor Reds are clearly selling farm and rebuilding.

NL West
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. San Francisco Giants*
3. San Diego Padres*
4. Arizona Diamondbacks
5. Colorado Rockies
Comment: It's an even year, so the Giants will have some success.

AL East
1. Tampa Bay Rays
2. New York Yankees*
3. Toronto Blue Jays*
4. Boston Red Sox
5. Baltimore Orioles
Comment: This is going to be a crazy division, any of the top 4 could win the division,

AL Central
1. Chicago White Sox
2. Cleveland Guardians
3. Minnesota Twins
4. Detroit Tigers
5. Kansas City Royals
Comment: This division isn't ripe with talent but I could see the non-division winners making a run at the wild card, at the very least.

AL West
1. Houston Astros
2. Seattle Mariners*
3. Los Angeles Angels
4. Texas Rangers
5. Oakland Athletics
Comment: This should be a fun division, as any team could surprise.  I feel hesitant putting the Athletics so low, because when I underestimate them, they surprise.  They did trade away Chapman and Olson, however.

Yep, that's right, I have my Seattle Mariners ending their 21 year postseason drought!  Thanks to the expanded playoffs, although I don't think they'd be the 6 seed in the AL.  Maybe 5.  Let's go through the playoffs:

NL Wild Card
(6) Padres vs. (3) Brewers: Padres win
(5) Cardinals vs. (4) Giants: Giants win

AL Wild Card
(6) Blue Jays vs. (3) White Sox: Blue Jays win
(5) Mariners vs. (4) Yankees: Mariners win

NL Divisional
(6) Padres vs. (2) Braves: Braves win
(4) Giants vs. (1) Dodgers: Dodgers win

AL Divisional
(6) Blue Jays vs. (2) Rays: Rays win
(5) Mariners vs. (1) Astros: Mariners win

League Championship Series
(2) Braves vs. (1) Dodgers: Dodgers win
(5) Mariners vs. (2) Rays: Rays win

World Series: Dodgers in 5

Well, my Mariners made the playoffs and made it to the league championship series!  Where yet again, they were denied their first ever trip to the World Series.  Oh well.  Here's who I predict will lead certain categories for the Mariners:

Average: Adam Frazier
Home Runs: Mitch Haniger
RBI: Mitch Haniger
Stolen Bases: JP Crawford
Wins: Marco Gonzales
Strikeouts: Robbie Ray
ERA: Robbie Ray
Saves: Paul Sewald
All-Stars: Jessie Winker, Mitch Haniger, Robbie Ray

My late MLB and Mariners prediction post

It's April 4, we're three games (plus) into the MLB regular season, and I did not do any post about the upcoming season.  Eh, better late than never, right?  Anyway, I'll still make some predictions for the MLB season.  Similarly to how I do my NFL predictions, I'll talk about each division instead of each team.  Afterwards, I'll talk about the Mariners and make some predictions.  Here we go!

* = Wild Card

NL East
1. Atlanta Braves
2. Washington Nationals*
3. Philadelphia Phillies
4. Miami Marlins
5. New York Mets

The NL East has got some good teams and it was hard to decide what order to put them.  I think the Braves have some of the best players in Albies, Acuna, and Freeman, plus a pretty good pitching staff.  The Nationals are only a year removed from winning it all and still boast some great players, most notably Juan Soto.  The Phillies are about an average team for me.  The Marlins are slowly getting better from the rebuild.  The Mets... well... are the Mets.  They have Pete Alonso, but I don't think they have many other notable players.

NL Central
1. Milwaukee Brewers
2. St. Louis Cardinals
3. Chicago Cubs
4. Cincinnati Reds
5. Pittsburgh Pirates

This might be the division I pay the least attention to.  I had a tough time blindly trying go figure out the order.  I just have a gut feeling the Brewers are about to have a magical season.  The Cardinals just got Nolan Arenado, so they should be improved.  The Cubs still have some decent players, but aren't on the upswing.  The Reds aren't awful, but there's just always too much competition in the NL Central for them.  The Pirates, I know, are rebuilding and have gotten rid of a lot of great players in recent years, most notably Andrew McCutcheon and Garritt Cole.  

NL West
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. San Diego Padres*
3. San Francisco Giants
4. Arizona Diamondbacks
5. Colorado Rockies

The NL West remains a very tough division.  The Dodgers are the most stacked team in all of baseball, and now boast a pitching staff that can compete with anyone's.  The Padres are young and up and coming and will give the Dodgers fits.  The Giants will not be an easy out for most teams as they have a few good, young players plus notable vets like Crawford, Belt, and Posey.  The D-Backs will be decent, but not great.  The Rockies only real good player is Nolan Arenado, who may want out of town, despite signing a contract extension.  

AL East
1. New York Yankees
2. Toronto Blue Jays*
3. Boston Red Sox
4. Tampa Bay Rays
5. Baltimore Orioles

The Yankees remain a top team and are the favorites to win the division.  The Blue Jays signed George Springer and have a lot of really good young players like Guerrero and Biggio.  The Red Sox are usually at least somewhat competitive.  The Rays and Orioles won't be awful, but won't be that good, either.

AL Central
1. Chicago White Sox
2. Minnesota Twins
3. Cleveland Indians
4. Kansas City Royals
5. Detroit Tigers

The White Sox are an up and coming team and I think they take a big jump this season.  The Twinkies remain a solid team, but not solid enough to make the playoffs.  The Indians still have some good pieces, but have also lost a few, most notably Trevor Bauer.  The Royals remain below average, and the Tigers are still rebuilding.

AL West
1. Houston Astros
2. Oakland Athletics*
3. Seattle Mariners
4. Los Angeles Angels
5. Texas Rangers

I hate to say it, but the Astros are probably winning the division again.  They lost Springer, but still have a lot of good players.  Let's just hope fans boo and ridicule them.  The A's are always pesky and competitive.  As for my Mariners, I think they surprise people and remain competitive.  But they fall short of the playoffs for the 20th straight season.  The Angels aren't awful, but the Rangers kind of are.


I haven't said yet, but I believe they're going back to the playoff format they had in 2019 (not using the 2020 expanded playoffs), which would be a one-game playoff for the wild card spot.  Anyway, I'll sim the playoffs below real quick.

NL Wild Card: Padres over Nationals
AL Wild Card: Blue Jays over Athletics

NL Divisional Round
Dodgers over Padres in 5 games
Braves over Brewers in 4 games

AL Divisional Round
Yankees over Blue Jays in 4 games
White Sox over Astros in 5 games

NL Championship Series
Dodgers over Braves in 6 games

AL Championship Series
Yankees over White Sox in 5 games

World Series
Dodgers over Yankees in 7 games

The Dodgers repeat as champions, and they beat the Yankees at their own game of spending a lot to assemble a super team.  

Now, onto the Mariners.  I think they'll win somewhere between 75-85 games, with some ups and downs along the way.  They could maybe even break the .500 mark for the first time since 2018.  

I'm just going to predict who I think will lead the team in each category.  Some may surprise you.

Batting average: Ty France
Home Runs: Kyle Lewis
RBI's: Kyle Seager
Stolen Bases: Dylan Moore
Hits: Ty France
Wins: Marco Gonzales
ERA: Marco Gonzales
Saves: Rafael Montero
K's: Yusei Kikuchi

I'm going to tune into Mariners games all summer long to check on the progress of some players.  I'm looking forward to the debuts of some of the youngsters, such as Kelenic and Gilbert, hopefully.  I really do think this team could remain competitive and perhaps in the race going into middle to late September.  Could make for an interesting summer.  Let's hope it is!

Rob Manfred and Roger Goodell are ruining their sports

My two favorite sports are baseball and football.  Basketball used to be up there, but ever since Seattle lost the Sonics, I've not watched it quite as much.  But I have been an avid fan of baseball and football my entire life, and I've got to say, I have not liked what the two commissioners of the two biggest sports leagues I follow have done. 

First, let's start with Rob Manfred.  First, he got rid of the four pitch intentional walk.  Never again will we see a wild pitch intentional walk, or an intentional ball being hit for a base hit.  That didn't need to change.  There's rumors he wants to change the baseball playoffs even more.  He's already added a second wild card team, which was extremely unnecessary.  It just reduces the importance of the regular season.  Baseball now has a total of 10 playoff teams, and I know Manfred wants to add more.  It has enough.  And this is coming from a Mariners fan that hasn't experienced the playoffs in 19 years.  I don't want the Mariners to make the playoffs at 83-79 as the sixth best team in the A.L.  I also don't want a see a team barely above .500 make it to the League Championship Series, or do I daresay it, the World Series. 

But the worst thing Manfred has done (or should I say, hasn't done), is not punishing the Astros players for the sign-stealing scandal.  The Houston Astros were caught red-handed stealing signs and relaying them to the hitters through audio signals.  The coaches and front office and organization were punished, although some feel not punished harshly enough.  Frankly, he should have stripped the Astros of their 2017 World Series title, because they obtained it unfairly.  He referred to the title as "taking a piece of metal away from them", which goes to show how little he knows about competitive sports.  And then there's the players, whom he did not punish.  Not one.  None of them spoke up when this was going on.  They all allowed this to happen, and they took advantage of other teams.  I know why Manfred didn't punish them.  It's because they are the reasons fans go to games, watch on TV, and buy merchandise.  He suspends players like Altuve, Correa, Alex Bregman, and George Springer, and the profits plummet.  Now, he's threatening to suspend pitchers for targeting Astros players, so in the end those pitchers who retaliate would get punished, but not the cheaters.  Ok. 

Then there's NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.  The fans already hate him.  I don't hate him, but my disdain for him grows with every unnecessary change he makes.  The one change that hasn't officially happened yet, but would make me jump on the Goodell Hate Train, is adding another playoff team.  There's strong consideration that a 7th playoff team will be added for each league.  One, the logistics for that sound way too complicated.  Two, it over-saturates the playoffs.  The seventh team would have a record of 9-7 or even 8-8 on occasion.  A lot of teams at 9-7 or 8-8 have no business competing for a Super Bowl.  I don't want to see the 8-8 New York Jets have a chance at the Super Bowl, or the 9-7 Cowboys as a Wild Card have a shot.  The teams that win their division, with two exceptions per league, should be the ones competing for a Super Bowl.  Three is too many. 

I hate that these commissioners are making these changes.  It's all because of money and making more of it.  I've already stopped being a fan of one sports league because my favorite team of theirs stopped existing.  If the postseasons of these leagues become too saturated, I will not support them by watching them.  I don't even watch the MLB Wild Card games, unless the AL one is an intriguing matchup.  But if too many changes happen to try to make more money, I won't look back as I stop watching these sports leagues altogether. 

Seattle Mariners in 2020 - Youth Movement Underway

The Seattle Mariners are in the process of a rebuild.  There's no getting around it.  That's what it is.  They are not expected to contend this year, and even asking for a playoff run next year may be too early.  But the youth movement is here and it is also the future.  Gone are Cano, Cruz, and now Felix Hernandez.  Seager and Gordon are close to gone.  Haniger could join them.

The 2020 season is for the young guys.  We get to see Evan White at first base.  Barring injury or significant struggles (knock on wood), we get to see full seasons from Shed Long, J.P. Crawford, Kyle Lewis, and Jake Fraley.  The 2020 Mariners won't make the playoffs (barring a miracle), but they will be interesting and worth a watch.  I'm certainly going to want to say that I watched the start of these young men's careers.  Hopefully they'll be leading our team to the playoffs in a few years.

I'm going to go over what I expect from each notable player, including the veterans.  Team success isn't quite as important as seeing progress in certain individuals; namely, the youngsters mentioned above.  At the end I'll assign them a tier number.  These tiers are in reference to their careers as a Mariner from 2020 onwards, so if they already had their success, they might have a surprisingly low tier.  Those tiers are:

- Tier 1: I predict them to be a future star with us.  I'd be surprised if they never made an All-Star team for us.  Might not be quite as iconic as Felix or Ichiro, but will become one of the faces of the franchise.

- Tier 2: They'll be a serviceable starter, maybe borderline All-Star.  We've had guys like Jose Lopez, Kyle Seager, Mitch Haniger, and Daniel Vogelbach make the All-Star team just once and anyone in this tier will be like them.  Although Vogelbach only had a good half-season.

- Tier 3: They'll have a good season for us or two, but that's it.  Nothing all-star worthy.

- Tier 4: They really don't have much to give us and/or they'll be gone by the end of the season.

Catcher
Tom Murphy - With Murphy's emergence as the starting catcher, Omar Narvaez became expendable.  Murph will get the bulk of starts behind the dish in 2020.  He's not our future at catcher, but he's our starting catcher until Cal Raleigh is ready.  Interestingly, Murph is the only pure catcher on the 40 man roster, as Nola is listed as an infielder.  I expect Murph to have a similar 2020 as he did 2019, and hopefully he does not drop off (at least not significantly).  I'll give him a Tier 3 because I don't expect Murph to be our catcher in two years.

Austin Nola - I'm excited to see him catch more in 2020.  He may be used as a super utility player in 2020, going from catcher to first to third and maybe outfield.  Nola burst onto the scene in 2019, but he faded down the stretch.  Hopefully he can have a more consistent 2020 season.  If he rakes, Servais will find a spot for him in the lineup.  If he continues to do fairly well, which I hope, I'll give him a Tier 2.  I think he has potential to be our All-Star representative this season.  He's got to get starts somewhere, though.

First Base/DH
Evan White - I'm more excited to see this kid play defense than I am to see him hit.  His defense is constantly raved about, so I bet we'll see a sparkling play from him or two.  He doesn't need to absolutely light it up with his bat in 2020, but get at least some timely hits and show some pop.  I see him as a Tier 2.  I don't see a ton of star power in Evan.  I could see him being the next Eric Hosmer.

Daniel Vogelbach - He just completely fell apart last year.  After the All-Star break, he couldn't buy a hit, and our lone "All Star" ended up hitting .208 for the year.  He needs to have a more consistent 2020 for sure.  I do not see him as a regular in our lineup around the end of the season.  If he struggles, he'll get cut.  If he has success, he could get traded because he's turning 28 later this year and could be dealt for a prospect to a team needed a left-handed bat.  But I am very concerned for Vogey; his fall-off last year is concerning, so I while I'd like to give him a Tier 3, I am leaning more towards Tier 4.  If he doesn't get off to a decent start, we won't have the patience for him, and we could see Nola take a few of his starts.

Second Base
Shed Long - Apparently Shed will be given the bulk of the opportunities at second base over veteran Dee Gordon.  Shed showed some flashes last year with a surprising amount of pop in his 5'8" frame.  He needs to get better defensively, however.  He struggled mightily early on last year with his glove.  I'll give Shed a Tier 2.  Like Evan White, has some good qualities but lacks star power.

Dee Gordon - Dee is in a weird spot.  He's sort of going to be used as a utility man, spelling Shed and JP and maybe even playing outfield.  He'll also, I'm sure, be used as a pinch-runner.  But more than likely, Jerry Dipoto will find a suitor for Dee who will want to use his glove, legs, and contact ability.  I don't expect Dee to make it past the trade deadline, therefore I won't guess at his stats.  I expect Dee gone soon, so he gets a Tier 4.

Shorstop
J.P. Crawford - J.P. would have to really struggle to lose his job.  He did start off last season great, but finished kind of slowly (but so did most of the youngsters).  I'm sure we'll see quite a few more sparkling defensive plays this year from J.P. as he makes a name for himself in baseball.  I just hope he's able to hit for a fairly high average and stay at the top of the lineup.  I am torn between tiers 1 and 2 for J.P., but because of his defense I will give him a Tier 1.  If he turns out anything like Francisco Lindor, I'll be a very happy man.

Third Base
Kyle Seager - Seags is in a weird spot.  We can't really trade him because he has a poison pill in his contract; basically the option in his contract gets converted to another year automatically if he gets traded, and he is making way more than what he's worth at the moment.  He's the longest tenured Mariner now, and it'll be interesting to see how much the Mariners front office wants him to play.  They'll want him to play to hopefully increase his trade value.  But with how much he has put into this organization, I could see him staying for a while to also help mentor the younger players on both hitting and defense.  I'll give Seags a Tier 3.  

Outfield
Mitch Haniger - Unfortunately Mitch survived another set-back and will miss spring training and probably the start of the season.  You might think he's a bit injury-prone.  It's unfortunate; his career got off to such a great start with us.  Kyle Seager suffered a set-back at the start of last year, so hopefully Mitch has a similar hot streak to Seager's in him.  He could be trade bait if that happens.  Mitch literally could be any of the tiers, depending on how well he bounces back and if we trade him.  I'll go with Tier 3, because we have a lot of outfield talent in our system, and he is injury-prone.

Mallex Smith - I'd prefer him as a 4th outfielder and speed off the bench, but what can you do.  He'll probably share time in center with Jake Fraley, Haniger, and maybe even Dee.  I just wish he hit a bit more consistently.  He could be a potential trade piece if a team needs to replace an injured center-fielder or they need speed on the bench.  I'm going with Tier 4 because I expect Mallex to either be benched or traded.

Kyle Lewis - Hard to get off to a better start than Kyle did at the end of last season.  It was awesome to watch.  Can he carry that over to 2020?  Remember, Dustin Ackley got off to a really good start too, and we all remember how that turned out.  He's got potential to be a 5 tool player.  I am going to give him a Tier 1 because I feel optimistic when it comes to Kyle's chances.  He's been in our system a while and he finally gets his first full season to prove himself.  And I could see him like an Adam Jones type player.

Jake Fraley - I was not too impressed with Fraley last year.  In 40 AB's last year he hit .150 and did not get a home run.  He's surprisingly good defensively, but I worry about his bat.  He could surprise me this year and go on a tear, but I just don't feel like that will happen.  He didn't look wholely comfortable at the plate last year.  I know, that could change.  I'm going to give him a Tier 3.  I could see us trading him in a year or two, especially if Kelenic or Rodriguez come up and go on a tear.

Every other position player: I don't see anyone else having a lengthy or impactful career with the Mariners.  Dylan Moore, Tim Lopes, Patrick Wisdom, and Braden Bishop will battle it out for the remaining spots.  Haniger will probably start the season on the DL, so that opens a spot for someone, probably Bishop.  Usually, teams carry 12 or 13 position players, so there's not a ton of room for other players.  Wisdom is the newbie so I'll be most interested to see how he does.

Starting Pitchers
Marco Gonzalez - Marco is our presumed opening day starter since he was last year.  He just got a nice new contract as well, which I was happy to see.  Marco is a great guy to lead this pitching staff until we get some of the youngsters up, and then hopefully be able to pass on some knowledge to them.  I'll give Marco a Tier 2, only because I don't see Marco becoming a true bona fide #1 starter.  He could make one All-Star team as our lone representative.

Yusei Kikuchi - Yusei certainly had some moments in 2019, most notably in Cleveland and New York.  Otherwise, he mostly struggled.  He will need to make significant improvements in 2020, otherwise he won't be with us long.  He'll be given plenty of chances because A) We don't have too many starting pitching options and B) We're not expected to make the playoffs.  Unless Yusei makes a big jump this year, I give him Tier 3. 

Justus Sheffield - Justus didn't really impress me last year, but it was his first significant big league action.  He, along with Kikuchi, will need to make an improvement in 2020.  I give Justus a better chance due to his age.  I really hope he can become at least a serviceable starter, because when we acquired him in the James Paxton trade, he was supposed to be a legit frontline starter.  I'll give him a Tier 2, but I feel like I'm being optimistic with that.

Kendall Graveman - I really only know him by name, but I see he struggled a bit with the A's and then underwent Tommy John surgery.  He could either surprise us or cost us multiple games.  Even if Graveman struggles, Servais will probably be forced to stick with him due to lack of options.  I'm giving Graveman a Tier 4 based on recent history.

Justin Dunn - Dunn showed flashes last year in very limited time.  I honestly see him as more of a reliever than a starter, but maybe that's just me.  I like Dunn, he seems like he'll work hard and compete his butt off, but how well will he really do?  Time will tell.  I will give him a Tier 3, hoping to be proven wrong.

Bullpen: Much like with the bench, I'm not going to go over the bullpen individually.  I think our bullpen is going to see a huge amount of turnover the next few seasons until we find guys that stick.  I like Magill and Tuivailala.  We also brought in Carl Edwards Jr. and Yoshihisa Hirano, so it will be fun to see how those guys do.  There's also Erik Swanson, Brandon Brennan, and Dan Altavilla, who all pitched for us last year, but I don't really like any of them that much. 


It's odd how excited I am for this upcoming season.  I know at times it won't be pretty, but to see young players develop is fun to watch.  This season will remind me of the 2011 Seahawks, who had a lot of bright, young stars but not a lot of experience.  They were still really fun to watch, however. 

I'll predict a record of 69-93.  It's not great, but it's not awful, either.  I think there will be just enough talent to avoid 100 or even 95 losses.

Top 10 Greatest Seattle Sports Athletes I Have Seen Play

Just recently, I did a post on the Top 10 Athletes I Have Ever Seen Play.  Noticeably absent were all Seattle athletes.  I just felt like I had to do a separate post for them.  These ten athletes below are the greatest I have seen play for a Seattle team.  The more they played for a Seattle team, the better.  And the more I saw them play, the better.  Unfortunately, that means guys like Steve Largent, Alvin Davis, and Gus Williams won't be on here.  I'm not going to label what teams they played for, because we know if they played for the Mariners, Seahawks, or Sonics.

First, some honorable mentions:
Sonics: Rashard Lewis, Brent Barry
Seahawks: Marshawn Lynch, Doug Baldwin, Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor
Mariners: Alex Rodriguez, Randy Johnson, Kyle Seager, Jamie Moyer


10. Ken Griffey, Jr.
It feels weird putting him this low on the list.  But I only saw the tail end of his career with the Mariners and then the 2009 and 2010 seasons.  But I've been able to watch highlights, mainly of the 1995 season.  I think he's the most talented baseball player to ever play for the Mariners.  It's such a shame he not only got traded but had an injury-plagued career from that point on.

9. Gary Payton
Again, he would be higher had I seen him play more.  He was definitely the best defensive point guard I ever watched.  There's a reason they called him "The Glove".  It was quite a shock to me when the trade was announced that he had been included in a trade that netted us Ray Allen.

8. Earl Thomas
I couldn't include the entire Legion of Boom, so I went with who I considered their best player and the one I had most fun watching.  Earl has been such a great safety in the NFL, the ability to range from deep center field to come up and make a tackle on a quick pass or run.  Earl's quickness and smarts allowed Pete Carroll and his defensive coaching staff to play him deep, which meant no big throws were ever really completed against the Hawks defense.  The Hawks certainly would not have had the success they did on defense without Earl.

7. Felix Hernandez
There has not been a better pitcher with the Mariners in the last 15 years.  Felix not only was dominant, but proved his loyalty all the way until he was no longer productive for us.  It breaks my heart that he never got to experience the postseason with us.  No other player has inspired something like a "King's Court", something I made certain to be a part of a few times.  His perfect game in 2012 is definitely one of the best moments in Mariners history, and might be the best moment of that decade.

6. Ray Allen
Ray has to be the best shooter of the basketball I have ever seen, especially from three point range.  He hit a ton of clutch shots with the Sonics and easily became my favorite player on the team in the mid-2000's.  He and Rashard Lewis formed quite the scoring duo, even guiding the Sonics to the playoffs a couple times.  And Ray was one of the very few high scorers in the NBA that didn't talk too much.  He let his play and his scoring speak for itself.

5. Bobby Wagner
At the end of his career, he may end up as the greatest defensive player in Seahawks history.  Right now, that's probably Cortez Kennedy, but Bobby may pass Tez in longevity and overall production.  Bobby hasn't won a defensive player of the year like Tez did, but I think he should have.  There's just been too many other great players in the league.  But to me, Bobby is the best tackler and linebacker in Seahawks history, and I'm fortunate to have seen him play.

4. Ichiro Suzuki
The greatest contact hitter in Mariners history for sure.  He set the all-time record for hits in a season in 2004.  He won MVP in his first season in Major League Baseball.  It's a huge shame we could never get back to the postseason with Ichiro, but the guy is a bona fide legend.  The way he would make contact with the worst of pitches and get hits out of them just blew my mind. 

3. Walter Jones
An offensive lineman in the Top 3?  Why not?  Big Walt is one of the best tackles in NFL history.  In fact, he was voted to the NFL 100 club in the NFL's 100th season, meaning he is one of the 100 greatest players in NFL history.  I think he had fewer holding calls than seasons played, and he hardly ever got beat.  Walt was devoted to his craft and it showed.

2. Russell Wilson
My favorite current athlete winds up at #2 on this list.  Russell is a born leader.  What I love most about him is his faith in his team and his belief that they will win, despite sometimes near insurmountable odds.  The most notable example of that would be the 2015 NFC Championship Game, where the Hawks fell behind 16-0, yet Russell kept believing.  It paid off.  Besides that, Russ is going to end up with every team passing record, he is our winningest quarterback of all time and guided us to our only ever championship, and he has sometimes done this with very little help.

1. Edgar Martinez
EdddddGAARRRRRR....EdddddGARRRR... I can still hear the chants of his name ring throughout the Kingdome and Safeco Field.  Edgar was pure class, pure all-around hitter, and a clutch one at that.  Edgar is often known as one of the greatest Mariners, even though he has been passed in a lot of hitting categories by Ichiro or Griffey.  There's a reason he's so loved, has a street named after him, and had his number retired before even entering the Hall of Fame.  That clutch double he hit in the 1995 ALDS has a lot to do with it.  Edgar Martinez is my greatest Seattle sports athlete I have ever seen play.