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!!!!

Mariners 2014 Season Recap and 2015 Outlook

                The Mariners just concluded their 2014 season, and for the 13th straight season failed to make the playoffs.  However, not a lot of people picked them to make the playoffs (myself included).  I predicted the M's to lose 93 games, and instead they pleasantly surprised most of us and went 87-75.  However, the Mariners faded towards the stretch, their pitching fell apart while the hitting remained subpar, and they lost 9 of 12 in September before winning their last 4 games, which wasn't enough.  I predicted Jack Zduriencik to be fired, and he probably would have been had the Mariners lost 93 games.  But instead, his contract was extended, and it's not something I agree with.
                The Mariners were a competitive team  around the trade deadline this season for the first time in a while, so general manager Jack Zduriencik tried helping the offense by trading for three hitters: Chris Denorfia, Kendrys Morales, and Austin Jackson.  Not one of them really provided much pop in the lineup.  Denorfia was supposed to hit well off of lefties but didn't.  Morales was supposed to provide a presence at the cleanup spot but would often create an out between Cano and Seager.  And Jackson, while providing a good presence at the top of the lineup, good speed and good defense, didn't do enough to justify the trade nor to be the team's future in centerfield.  Jackson struggled mightily at times with strikeouts, and he is still looking for his first home run as a Mariner.  Despite these inadequate trades, the Mariners ownership decided to extend the contract of general manager Jack Zduriencik, merely because the Mariners remained relevant due to their excellent pitching.
                While the Mariners struggled at times, they did win more games than they lost, and it's because of a handful of players.  Felix Hernandez pitched perhaps his best baseball ever and will likely win his second Cy Young Award.  Hishashi Iwakuma, after coming off an injury, pitched great baseball until late in the season.  Chris Young wins the Surprise Player of the Year award, making the roster and pitching great as well.  And Robinson Cano proved to be worth the $240 million contract, hitting well and providing veteran leadership in the clubhouse.  And Kyle Seager played his best baseball and made the All-Star team, being the first home-grown position player to be an All-Star since Jose Lopez.  And let's not forget Dustin Ackley, who got hot in July and August and single-handedly won us a few ballgames.  Finally, closer Fernando Rodney set a Mariners team record with saves with 47, and the entire Mariners bullpen was just downright dominant.  So this team had some bright spots that hopefully can continue into 2015.
                The theme throughout this year was excellent pitching to go with some (hopefully) timely hitting.  But often times that hitting was simply not there.  This team again struggled with the bats, hitting under .250 as a team for the fifth straight season, despite Robinson Cano and his .314 average.  The hitting will continue to plague this team and prevent them from making the playoffs until it is fixed.  Cano is a good start.  Seager will only get better.  Ackley might be good enough to get his batting average even higher next season.  But who else will complement those guys?  Zunino constantly hit around the Mendoza line, but hopefully he'll improve for 2015.  Who is the answer at DH?  Are Jackson, LoMo, and Taylor the answers at their positions?  Time will tell.  But until the hitting is fixed, this team won't go far.  This team must (and I cannot stress this enough) acquire some decent bats this offseason, and no washed up hitters like Cory Hart or Jack Cust.  They're just never worth it.
                I made a post three and a half years ago saying this team needs to make the playoffs by 2015 or look like a playoff contender by then.  Well, the 2015 season will be here before we know it.  We'll have to see what Jack Zduriencik does in the offseason.  The Mariners obviously need another bat or two, either at an outfield spot, first base, or designated hitter.  The 2015 season will basically be a make-or-break type season for the M's, with Felix and Cano nearing the end of the prime of their playing careers.  They won't be able to put up the same numbers for much longer, so time is running short.  Zduriencik must do everything possible to put together the most competitive team he can for 2015, without selling the farm like his predecessor, Bill Bavasi.  A letdown season in 2015 would be killer and would set the team back another couple years. 
                Let's not forget manager Lloyd McClendon.  Had the Mariners made the playoffs, he'd be in serious contention for manager of the year.  He expected a lot of his players and benched them when necessary.  He fought for his players with umpires and he usually made the right call.  He also did his best to put together the best lineup possible, arranging guys and spots on a daily basis.  McClendon did the best he could with what he was given, and I give him kudos.  He's definitely the right man for the job.  He just needs to be given a bit more to work with.  When he's given the right tools to work with, we'll see how good Lloyd can make this team.  Lloyd's not the type of guy to yell at someone for doing something wrong; instead, you'll know you need to improve and make fewer mistakes just by Lloyd's demeanor and the disappointment he'd show.  If the Mariners collapse in 2015, Lloyd should not be held solely responsible like other managers have been in the past. 
                I'll give the Mariners a shot in 2015, at least at first.  Signing a good free-agent bat (or trading for one) will certainly give me and other Mariners fans reason to believe.  Certain young players that obviously won't have much Major League success should be let go, such as Justin Smoak and Jesus Montero.  They've had their shot; time to just write off their trades as failures and move on.  But in 2015 I am going to be extremely critical of this team and demanding.  For too long the Mariners have teased their fans with a winning season and then losing seasons the next few years after.  The Mariners haven't put together back-to-back winning seasons since 2002-2003.  In fact, the last two times the Mariners had winning seasons (2007 and 2009), the GM screwed up so bad that the following seasons were 100 loss campaigns.  Back to back WINNING seasons is what this team, this fanbase, this organization so desperately needs.  But what they need even more is a playoff team.  Let's put together not just a winning team for 2015, but a playoff- and championship-caliber team!  GO Mariners!