Rating Dungeon Siege Characters

 I recently rated the Towns and Areas in Dungeon Siege, so I'll also rate the characters.  I'm going to rate them based on how effective they are and how much I feel they contribute once they become a part of my party.  I'll go in chronological order of when you meet the characters.  Of course, the starting character is customizable, so I'm not going to rate them.

Ulora - 7.5/10
Ulora isn't the best fighter in the game, but I keep her rating up due to her versatility.  When you first meet Ulora, you can basically turn her into anything you want, and she'll be at least fairly decent at it.  Consider Ulora the utility player of the game.  

Gyorn - 6.5/10
For melee fighters, Gyorn ends up being below average for me most of the time.  He's not awful, but could be better.  Fortunately, since you meet him so early, you could make him into something else if you really wanted to.  But if you take him and Rusk at the same time, he instantly starts behind Rusk on stats.  

Zed - 5.5/10
I don't know what it is, but Zed has never been that great for me.  Usually, I end up replacing him with Merik or Andiemus, so I can't ever recall reaching the end with him.  If you don't need a wizard and you're tight on gold, you might want to leave him behind.  It might be smarter to make your starting character or Ulora a wizard.

Rusk - 9/10
Rusk always ends up being super solid for me and one of my best fighters.  He costs a bit of gold for when you meet him, but he's worth it.  He's incredibly tough and will level up fast if you give him the right weapon and gear.  

Naidi - 8/10
Naidi is also super solid.  It's a shame you only meet two pure archers in the entire game.  She is worth picking up, but again, she is costly.  

Gloern - 6.5/10
I can never get Gloern to be one of my best melee fighters, so I can't recall ever reaching the end with him.  Melee fighters are a dime a dozen, and Gloern is certainly one of them.  He's also one of three dwarf melee fighters in the game, but at least he is free.

Kroduk - 8.5/10
Kroduk, like Rusk, is another great melee fighter.  However, I do find him slightly lagging behind Rusk more often than not.  You could get away with only Rusk and Kroduk as melee fighters if you want to.  

Lorun - 6.5/10
It's crazy how far you have to get into the game until you meet a wizard who specializes in combat magic.  And Lorun is decent.  But I find for his time in the game, you either deal with one of two faults, depending on the attack spell you use.  Either you use Soul Lance, which drains his Mana like crazy, or you use Flame, which puts Lorun in harm's way and gets him to pass out a lot and possibly die.  

Merik - 7.5/10
I bump Merik's rating up because of the great items he has.  He has a really good cloak and boots that add to health, mana, and add 1 to Intelligence.  He's also not bad of a fighter, either, and I would take him (slightly) over Zed.  And the best part is that he's free.  

Phaedriel - 8/10
I give Phaedriel the same rating as Naidi.  Both are good archers and worth their gold.  I'd rate them both higher if they were cheaper or free.  But Phaedriel, like Naidi, is worth picking up.  I'd recommend carrying both.  

Andiemus - 7/10
I've never been a huge fan of his, and it's really a judgment call if you want him or Merik.  I wouldn't recommend both, but you could if you want.  I don't like how he costs a bit of gold, but you can replenish your gold soon after by selling to the merchant near him.  

Boryev - 8/10
Boryev is the first character in the game that has multiple skills.  He's got some melee skill points as well as combat magic.  I'd go with just combat magic, but maybe occasionally switch to melee if his mana gets drained using a high-cost spell, such as Fire Wall.  But doing that requires giving him a lot of your attention.  Still, he's worth it.  You won't find a tougher wizard in the game (unless you make the starting character that).

Rhut - 5.5/10
I rarely add Rhut to my team.  Generally, my team's melee fighters are superior by the time I meet him.  Plus, it's just a waste of gold.  I'd only ever pick him up if I needed to add a melee fighter for some reason.

Sikra - 8.5/10
This is my favorite wizard in the game, and the only female one.  She has combat and nature magic skills, although combat is superior, so I'd recommend sticking with that.  She's fairly tough too, considering she's a wizard.  And best of all, she's free.

Ulfgrim - 5.5/10
Ulfgrim, like Rhut, costs a lot and generally isn't worth adding to your team.  Maybe if I'm doing an all-melee fighters team, I'll add him.  And like Ulfgrim, his skills tend to be a bit behind my team's.

Lord Bolingar - 8/10
Lord Bolingar typically has comparable skills, but he comes so late in the game.  Is it worth making a change so late?  Typically by the time you meet him, your team has started to gel well and doesn't need much improvement.  Maybe if somehow you still have a pack-mule and want to replace it?  

With that said, here is my ideal final team:
Created Character
Rusk
Kroduk
Naidi
Phaedriel
Merik/Andiemus/Zed
Boryev
Sikra

It's got a nice balance.  Typically, my created character is a melee fighter, so that would make 3 melee fighters, two archers, and three wizards.  

Rating Dungeon Siege Areas and Towns

 Dungeon Siege is one of my favorite video games of all time.  I've replayed it close to a dozen times over the years (probably more).  I love customizing my team.  I recently played through and beat the game with wizards only.  It was not easy.  I thought I'd go through and rank each area and town in the game out of 10.  

Points will be given for secret areas, things to do besides fighting, and cool bosses.  Points will be taken away for being too long and annoying enemies.  I'll also give or take away points based on the town's or area's overall aesthetic.  In chronological order...

Farmlands - 7/10
It's a solid start to the game.  The Krug are a good first enemy to fight.  There's a hidden area with a bear that I didn't see on my first couple of playthroughs.  I like the basement area where you have to beat a Krug "boss."  I have to take points away, however, because in this area, I have to leave items behind on the ground.  There are no merchants until Stonebridge, and you typically don't get the Transmute spell early enough.  And the inventory is only so much until you can get pack mules.

Crypt of the Sacred Blood - 6/10
Again, I hate having to leave items behind.  I'm not going to backtrack for all of them.  The skeleton enemies are easy enough if you have a ranged weapon/attack and just keep your distance.  I just think it's pretty boring.  As you'll see, I'm not the biggest fan of underground areas.  I like how you finally get your first companion in Ulora, but until then, this area is a bit of a drag.  And of course, the dungeon ends soon after meeting her.

Stonebridge - 8.5/10
I love Stonebridge.  There's so much to do.  In fact, if I had a critique, it's that there's too much to do.  It's the first town in the game, and for beginners, it's easy to miss things.  For example, the first few times I played, I missed the Ordus' Axe quest and even missed finding Rusk!  As for the aesthetic, it loses a 1/2 point or so with me because everyone in the town is so gloomy and upset about the recent Krug attack.  

Ruins of Wesrin Cross - 5.5/10
Another underground part and another part I don't particularly like.  My least favorite part of Wesrin Cross is the underground tunnel maze.  I hate thinking that there's an area I missed, and it's very difficult to know for sure.  Then, of course, there's the giant area with about a hundred enemies, resulting in a giant spider boss at the end.  Let's just say I'm always so glad to be done with this area.

Glitterdelve Mines - 6.5/10
I'm not a huge fan of the mines, either.  Sure, you get Gloern at the start, but he's okay at best (and typically falls behind guys like Rusk and Kroduk).  It's pretty repetitive, with little to no payoff.  I don't like the moving platforms and trying to fit my entire party, pack mule(s) and all, on them.  The rock beasts are always tough.  This rating would be higher if the previous area wasn't also underground.  Fortunately, there's a merchant right before this area.

Glacern - 9.5/10
I LOVE Glacern.  It's the best town in the game.  My favorite part of the game is when I first enter Glacern and hear that awesome music.  If you haven't listened, I recommend checking it out.  There's so much to do in Glacern: Adding Kroduk and Lorun, talking to the Overseer, talking to Ada.  There's even an underground basement area in one of the houses.  Also, there's a mini-quest involving finding the three volumes of Fedwyyr's Way.  I just love Glacern.  It's the perfect size, too.  I can't give it a perfect rating because I wish the merchants weren't separate (The spells and potion merchant and the armor and weapons merchant).  

Alpine Cavern Ice Caves - 7/10
It's an okay area.  The enemies aren't too annoying, although the sound they make sort of is.  There is a nice payoff in finding Merik near the end.  It can be challenging if you get too many ice beasts fighting you at once, so you must be careful.  I just don't like the feeling of being in a cave with no daylight coming through.

Caves - 5.5/10
It's just so dark.  The enemies, like lungers, suck.  The music and aesthetic is one of the worst in the game.  It's not terribly difficult, at least.  But there aren't any hidden areas or merchants (you have a rude merchant, Jeriah, beforehand and a merchant after, though).  I have never been fond of this area, but they somehow have to transition from snow to a forest.

Traveler Camp/Dark Forest - 8.5/10
I lumped these two together as no defined barriers (walls) separate the camp from the forest.  Anyway, I do really enjoy this part.  You get merchants at the start and get an archer you can add to your group in Phaedriel.  Then there is the forest, where you encounter your only human enemies in the game, the bandits.  They are tough but beatable, so long as you take on as few of them at once as possible.  And I count three secret areas, from the riverside camp to the secret bandit fortress to the Lost Witch.  And the bandit camp where the bandit boss is has a ton of great loot.  I only wish I didn't have to go back to the previous merchant as much.

Eastern Swamp - 8/10
I used to hate this area.  Now I like it.  It's a massive area, and the path becomes less defined.  The enemies are fairly annoying.  I like the crypt/graveyard area, and man, those corpses can swarm on you quickly.  You find a wizard in Andiemus you can add, and soon after, a merchant who is a sight for sore eyes (although she's a creepy old lady).  I also like how there's an area where a part of your party can fall through the ground to an area below.  It always catches me off guard.  

Underground Factory - 6.5/10
There's no official name for this area that I have seen, but it's after the swamp where you find Merik's staff.  Anyway, this factory area has a ton of tough enemies that can seem endless, hence the tough rating I gave it.  A boss is guarding Merik's staff, who is very tough.  But fortunately, he has a ton of good loot.  There is a secret area or two, which does help keep things interesting if you can find them.

Temple Ruins - 7.5/10
This includes the preceding forest, as I consider that sizable enough to be included.  I like this area.  The merchant, Thayne, is a funny dude ("I'm very sure I shall be SEEING you again...").  I'd bet a lot of money his voice actor also voiced Baron Dumas in No One Lives Forever.  Anyway, there's a quest where you have to go underground and fight a bunch of lungers and other enemies, which isn't particularly fun.  But I love being able to return to Thayne many times to sell the gear I've found.  

Fortress Kroth - 7/10
I'm fairly indifferent to this area.  It's all right.  You stumble across Boryev, who's an interesting solider/sorcerer hybrid you can add to your party.  The skeleton enemies are ok to fight as they're extremely slow.  I don't like fighting the boss, though.  He is tough.  But what must be included is the actual Fortress, where you meet two merchants and Rhut at the end.  Rhut isn't worth it unless you want a team of all-melee fighters.  I love the music at Fortress Kroth though, second best to Glacern.  But there's not as much to do.  

Cliffs of Fire - 7.5/10
First, you meet Ulfgrim, who is the third dwarf melee fighter (and he costs a lot of gold), so I hardly ever add him to my party.  What pushes this rating up for me are the breathtaking views you get as you rise in elevation.  I love how the paths intercross each other as you go higher; that was an interesting design concept.  The enemies are okay, but they can be tough.  I do like the payoff at the end with finding the good Droogs and their leader who you can trade with.  It didn't hit me until recently that she is the second-to-last merchant in the game.

Dragon's Rathe - 6.5/10
It's not a big area, but it has perhaps the most memorable boss in the game, the giant dragon.  I remember the dragon has over 30,000 hit points, so it always takes a long time to take the dragon down.  Fortunately, it's worth it, as the dragon is surrounded by a ton of loot.  The battle can be long and tedious as you just repeatedly attack it, so it loses points there.

Castle Ehb - 9/10
First off, you have the area before the castle, which includes a secret area with skeleton fighters and a maze.  There's some loot there, but not a ton.  You also get the last possible addition to your party in Lord Bolingar.  He's a good melee fighter if you need one.  Then you get to the castle, which I love exploring.  You go through its many rooms, including where the king slept and the throne room.  You go all around and above it to find an elevator that takes you below the Castle.  Of course, the Seck enemies are very tough and must be cautiously approached.

Underneath Castle Ehb - 8.5/10
Again, no official name, but there's a lot you go through.  You get to the King, who gives you a key.  You also meet your final merchant of the game, who you interestingly talk to through jail doors.  I can just picture each side sending armor and weapons through the bars.  After the merchant, there's more fighting, including some weird Cyclops-like prisoner named Swanny.  You can get his club if you defeat him.  Then you can get to the Chamber of Stars area, which unlocks the absolute best loot in the game if you use the key given to you by the king.  Next is the lava area, which leads to the final area and the game's final boss in Gom.  This is a very solid finish to the game.  The Chamber of Stars is certainly a highlight.  

Top 10 Survivors Who Never Got a Second Chance

Survivor has been played by over 600 players.  Some have come back to play a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or even 5th time!  But then some never played again.  In fact, a large majority of players only play once.  But there are ten I can pick out that I wish had played again.  These ten players Survivor really missed out on by not casting them again while their seasons were still fairly recent.  These ten will likely never play again, so there's no one past season 30 on here.  So this is my tribute to them.  My ten favorite one-time players who will likely never play again.  Here they are:

10. Carolyn Rivera ("Mama C") - Worlds Apart
Mama C was a very good player, and she was fairly likable.  I wasn't a huge fan of who she aligned with, but she played a good game, nonetheless.  A part of me feels she deserved the win over Mike, since Mike had to immunity and idol his way to the end.  She voiced on the Top 100 players of all time video on Russell Hantz's YouTube channel that she wants to play again, but I feel like it's too late, as she was already in her early 50's when her season aired.  

9. Ian Rosenberger - Palau
How can we not want to see a guy who voluntarily stepped down from the longest challenge ever back?  And he did so to save face and have a decent relationship with Tom and Katie after the show.  But I believe he has been approached about playing again, but he turned down producers.  I'm sure if they gave him enough of an appearance fee, he would've played again.  Oh well.

8. Taj George - Tocantins
Being a minor celebrity, Taj probably doesn't want to play again.  But she was like a second Cirie Fields.  She was likable, and if not for JT and Stephen, she might have won.  Well, she would've needed to outlast the Timbira members.  Anyway, I wish she had maybe played Blood vs. Water with her husband, former NFL running back Eddie George.  That would've been cool.

7. Hayden Moss - Blood vs. Water
Hayden clearly showed he was a gamer, and his skills from Big Brother translated fairly well to the game of Survivor.  I wish we had seen Hayden on Second Chance or Game Changers.  He would've been a more interesting player on GC than Caleb.  I loved his ability to convince Ciera to force a rock draw with Tyson.  

6. Cao Boi - Cook Islands
The man that came up with the splitting the votes tactic!  Plan Voodoo!  How could we not have seen Cao Boi back?  I honestly think I would've preferred him on Micronesia over Yau Man (especially considering how early of a boot Yau Man was).  Maybe they didn't bring him back because of his racial insensitivity (to his own race, mind you), and also maybe the fact he didn't make the merge.  

5. Earl Cole - Fiji
Earl is the one winner on this list, and man, I would've liked to have seen him back.  He was such a likable guy on a season that isn't particularly likable.  He would've made a good Hero on HvV or probably a more interesting player on Blood vs. Water (with his wife?) than Aras, and he certainly would've been a welcome addition on Winners at War.  Unfortunately, he had to turn it down due to his wife recently giving birth.  

4. Theresa "T-Bird" Cooper - Africa
Each time I watch Season 3, Africa, I like T-Bird more and more.  I like how she wasn't intimidated by Lex at all.  I like her southern accent.  And she's just a sweet, southern lady.  I would've much preferred her on All-Stars over Tina or Jenna Lewis.  They could've had four from Africa on All-Stars as they had four from Australian Outback (Tina, Colby, Amber, Jerri).

3. Marty Piombo - Nicaragua
Marty was a gamer.  He was incredibly smart and was voted out way too soon.  He was maybe (even at the time) ahead of his time.  He should've come back to show his full potential.  But by this point, it's probably too late.  If he was originally cast on a more memorable season, we might've seen him back.

2. Heidi Strobel/Hamels - Amazon
When you think of Survivor Amazon, who are the first players that come to mind?  For me, it's Rob C, Jenna, and Heidi.  And let me also ask you this.  What Survivor player in history best fulfills the dumb blonde stereotype?  You probably think Heidi.  Yet she has never played again.  Such a shame.  Again, she easily could've replaced her friend Jenna on All-Stars, and should've, given Jenna's mom's health at the time.  

1. Shane Powers - Panama/Exile Island
Such a shame that a character like Shane never played again.  And he was willing to, too.  He was on the HvV cast until he was cut for Russell Hantz at the last minute.  He was on the ballot for Cambodia: Second Chance, but somehow missed the cut (come on, people!).  By this point, it's probably too late.  He's probably also given up on reappearing as well.  Shane's just a unique, fun character to watch, and one that you hardly ever see on Survivor.  Again, such a shame.

Re-ranking My Top 10 NFL Commentators and Analysts (And my least favorite!)

Six years ago I ranked my Top 10 NFL broadcasters.  I thought it would be time to re-rank them since some have moved to other networks and my opinions have changed.  First, I will pick my Top 5 for each commentator/play-by-play and analysts/color commentary.  I don't think comparing the two is fair, so I'll rank them separately. 

First, let's do analysts:

5. Trent Green, CBS
He's ok.  He's only on this list because I dislike hearing the commentary of every other commentator out there (besides the 4 ahead of him).  He's knowledgeable, and his voice is fairly pleasant.

4. Mark Schlereth, FOX
For an offensive lineman, Schlereth knows his stuff.  He's also got a great voice for television.  

3. Daryl Johnston, FOX
Daryl is an old-timer as I remember when I first got into watching NFL football, he was doing color commentary way back then.  He's also got a great voice for television and knows his stuff.

2. Tony Romo, CBS
Tony is liked for his ability to predict things, his reaction to plays, and the noises he makes.  But I like him for his knowledge when he points out things we normally wouldn't notice.  

1. Cris Collinsworth, NBC
You either love him or hate him, and I gotta say, I love him.  His voice was made for football.  I will admit he can become a bit annoying, but so can any color commentator.


And now, play-by-play guys:

5. Kevin Burkhardt, FOX
Kevin has great inflection in his voice when calling exciting plays, so it makes for great TV.  He's now the lead NFL guy for FOX after Buck's departure, and I'm all for it.

4. Ian Eagle, CBS
For some reason, we in Seattle get many of Ian's games.  Anyway, he blends a smooth voice with a great knowledge of the game and its players.  It's a great combination.

3. Mike Tirico, NBC
The reason I'm glad Al Michaels left NBC for Amazon is so we could hear Mike Tirico more.  He's got such a great voice and made some great calls.  "Hauled in by Jennings, the Packers win in overtime!  Unbelievable!"  And who could forget the Fail Mary? "Fought for by Tate with Jennings, who has it, who they give it to?  TOUCHDOWN!!!"  And, "... in one of the most bizarre finishes you'll EVER see!"  Look forward to hearing him make more of those.

2. Kevin Harlan, CBS
He's still one of the best and the most underrated.  He's the ultimate play-by-play guy.  His voice was made for it.  I wish CBS would put him with Tony Romo because that pairing would be *chef's kiss*.  I challenge anyone to find a play-by-play guy with a better voice when calling huge/dramatic plays. 

1. Al Michaels, Amazon
The one thing making Amazon's Thursday Night Football tolerable is Al Michaels.  Kirk Herbstreit isn't bad, but Al Michaels carries it.  Al is such a comforting presence and voice; he's like if everyone's grandpa decided to call games.  All your anxieties and stresses fade away when listening to Al call a game.  And I love it when Al makes snide remarks, like the Harvey Weinstein one or when the fans were chanting "bullshit," and he said, "That's the loudest manure chant I've ever heard."  Classic Al.

Ok, now that that's done, I thought I'd rank my least favorite analysts and commentators (from ok to least favorite).  If they're a part of the game, these guys will make me watch a different game (or not watch at all).  These will be a mix of color commentary and play-by-play guys.

Dishonorable Mention: Beth Mowins, CBS
Her voice is just so unpleasant (and it has nothing to do with her being a woman).  I recently told my girlfriend that it's like hearing Phil and Lil's mom from Rugrats calling a game.  Literally, any female sideline reporter that CBS employs would be better.  And she's only a dishonorable mention because she doesn't call NFL games that often (thank God).

5. Jonathan Vilma, FOX
Rarely do linebackers make good color commentators.  Vilma is no exception.  He's annoying and provides very little insightful content.  His voice isn't awful, but it isn't the best.

4. Mark Sanchez, FOX
He just says the dumbest stuff.  He's as bad at color commentary as he was as a QB.  His voice is mediocre at best.  Sometimes I just wish he'd shut the heck up.

3. Greg Gumbel, CBS
It's such a shame.  Greg used to be one of my favorites.  He messes up players' names on a routine basis now.  He really should copy his former partner Dan Dierdorf and retire.  But back in the late 90s/early 2000s, he and Dan were one of the best.  But now the pairing of him and Adam Archuleta is just sad.  

2. Charles Davis, CBS
First off, I hate the sound of his voice.  CBS thinks it makes for great TV, but it's just annoying.  I wish I could mute the broadcast whenever he speaks.  Secondly, his voice only reminds me of how he is in the newer Madden video games and how trash those games are nowadays.  His commentary is rarely insightful, and he says obvious things fairly often.  Fortunately for him, he's paired with Ian Eagle.  That broadcast sure is lopsided.

1. Chris Myers, FOX
I despise FOX whenever they assign him to call a Seahawks game.  Just in the past month, he has covered 3 of the past 4 Seahawk games.  So why don't I like him?  His voice is way too guttural, and he says the corniest and stupidest things.  I wouldn't be surprised if his normal talking voice was distinctly different (like Brian Baumgartner from The Office).  He's a good sideline reporter, but in the booth, he is AWFUL.  He is the only one of these that makes me mute a broadcast and listen to the radio instead.  His worst call of all time has to be when Richard Sherman picked off a pass and was headed to the end zone, and Myers said, "He's got followers, and not just on Twitter!"  So terribly awful and corny.  I hate that my Seahawks are usually on the same network that employs Chris Myers.  He cannot retire soon enough.

Final remarks: There were a lot of well-known broadcasters that didn't make my list that I'd like to comment on.  Joe Buck and Troy Aikman are okay; I can tolerate them to an extent.  They'd be closer to the bottom than the top for me, though.  Another that might be near the bottom for me (and would probably surprise you) is Jim Nantz.  He has a great voice, but his commentary has gotten worse recently.  He's reacted slowly to plays and doesn't have a great voice for exciting plays (probably why he does golf).  He's a terrific narrator but doesn't handle exciting plays particularly well.  Anyone else I haven't mentioned is basically middle-of-the-road for me; I can take them or leave them.

2022: A Successful Season for the Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners 2022 season ended in disappointment.  But for 29 MLB teams, that is always the case.  However, this 2022 season was remarkable.  The Mariners ended their postseason drought of 20 years and finally made it back to the playoffs.  

What's even more impressive is the wild card series the Mariners had.  They took care of business in game 1, and then in game 2, they came back from a seven-run deficit to win 10-9 in one of the greatest postseason comebacks in baseball history.  This was all done on the road in Toronto, a harsh environment to play in.  That series showed that this team can never be counted out.  

Because of the Mariners' Wild Card Series win, they were able to advance to the Divisional Series against the Houston Astros and play at least one home playoff game.  Unfortunately, one home playoff game is all they would get as they got swept in three games.  The Mariners lost the three-game series by a total of 4 runs.  They just couldn't get luck back on their side.

I said a month ago I'd consider this a successful season if the Mariners got to the divisional round and got to play at least one home playoff game, and that they did.  They were in each of the three games against the Astros.  They held a lead in the first two, which they unfortunately could not hold.  They went 18 innings against the Astros in game 3, only to lose on a fluke home run by the Astros.  They were close to winning all three games, yet lost all three.  

What seems so disappointing is that this team seemed to be on a run.  In game 1, the Mariners held a 4-run lead and seemed to be on their way to their third straight playoff victory and a huge game 1 win.  Instead, the bullpen folded, the Astros hit a walk-off homer, and the Mariners could never fully recover.  The Mariners only scored 2 runs in the final 27 innings of the series.

The big obstacle in the Mariners' way is the Houston Astros.  They have made it to six straight ALCS's, won 5 of 6 AL West division titles, and are always tough for the Mariners to beat.  They are the Goliath to the Mariners' David, and the Mariners will either have to best them in the regular season or beat them in the playoffs if they want to do any better in future years.  

Maybe the 2023 Mariners can win the AL West outright.  That'd certainly seem to be the most straightforward plan.  The Mariners are still in a 21-year division title drought.  Every other AL West team has won the division since the Mariners last won it.  

So let's hope the Mariners' front office makes the right moves this offseason to upgrade the team.  Moves need to be made so that this team can finally get past the Astros.  A couple bats, and a bullpen arm, and they might just be there.  It is imperative that the Mariners make progress in 2023 and not take a step back.

2022 Seattle Mariners Regular Season Grades - Pitchers

The 2022 regular season is almost at a close, and now it's time for me to grade the Mariners pitchers for 2022.  I've already done the hitters, and you can check my previous post to see that.  But how did the pitchers do?  Again, this does factor in expectations for each pitcher.

Starters

Robbie Ray: B-
I can't give Robbie higher than a B.  Has he been good for the most part?  Yes.  But he's had stretches where he gives up a lot of home runs, namely at the beginning and end of the season.  I don't think he's pitched quite well enough to earn his salary, but he has been better than the average #1/2 pitcher.

Luis Castillo: B+
Castillo was a much-needed addition for our playoff push.  He has been mostly great, but he did show a few signs of struggle.  No pitcher is perfect, but I'd have to say Castillo has been about as good as we could hope.  He' just a few bad starts away from a grade in the A's.

Logan Gilbert: A-
Logan had an amazing start, winning pitcher of the month for April.  He cooled off but never had any massive struggles.  He picked it back up late in the season and earned a spot as one of the Top 3 in the rotation for the playoffs.  Logan's first full season in the bigs went about as well as we could've hoped.

Marco Gonzalez: C+
Marco definitely had his ups and downs, which is just a kind way of saying he struggled too much for most people's liking.  Shows how much our rotation has come when Marco, our former #1 starter, is now #5.  I'll give Marco credit: he battled all season and never wavered or caved into pressure.  

George Kirby: A
Kirby's first season went better than we could've even hoped.  He showed impeccable control and went a long stretch without giving up a home run.  George proved he can be a top of the line starter for us, and the future is incredibly bright with him.

Chris Flexen: B-
Flexen pitched as well as a #4 starter could be expected to.  He had his ups and downs, just like Marco.  He handled his "demotion" to the bullpen extremely well and did everything that was asked of him.

Relievers

Diego Castillo: B-
Castillo had an extremely rough start to his season but turned it around.  He still had a hiccup or two after, as almost every reliever does.  But that rough start cannot be ignored.  Hopefully, if he's used in the playoffs, we won't see that side of him again.

Matt Brash: B+
Brash started as the starter instead of George Kirby, which was the wrong choice.  Fortunately, Brash seems to have found his spot in the bullpen.  Brash has some of the nastiest pitches I have ever seen.  And his performance in the 13-inning game was amazing, especially that double play he helped induce.  

Matt Festa: C+
Festa has been pretty good.  We just never know which Festa we'll get daily.  He's either been really good or awful, with no in-between.  I wouldn't want him in a high leverage situation in the playoffs.

Paul Sewald: A-
Sewald has been as good as we could hope, although there have been a few games where he gave up some costly home runs.  But he's still one of Scott's most trusted arms in the pen and rightfully so.

Andres Munoz: A
Munoz has become one of the best relievers in baseball, and that is no exaggeration.  He routinely hits over 100 MPH and has a wicked slider.  He could be an extremely dominant closer in our future.  Munoz's struggles have been few and far between as well.

Penn Murfee: B
Is there a more aptly named reliever in baseball?  Anyway, Murfee wasn't expected to be much this season but has been a very solid reliever.  He has had struggles every now and then, but he's still exceeded expectations.  

Erik Swanson: A-
Swanson, like Brash, is a converted starter that has thrived in the pen.  Swanson's ERA for a large part of the year was UNDER 1.00.  That's insane.  He wasn't perfect and was a bit wild at times, but he did become one of Scott's more trusted relievers.

Ryan Borucki, Matthew Boyd, Drew Steckenrider, Anthony Misiewicz: Incomplete
Not enough from these guys, but Steckenrider and Misiewicz were moved on from due to their struggles.  Boyd has been a solid lefty/long relief out of the pen and Borucki was fairly good out of the pen until his injury.  Borucki's best was definitely pitching multiple innings of relief in an extra inning game against the Blue Jays that resulted in a win.  

That's all I have for grades!  I'll likely do one more post on the Mariners, recapping the season and talking about their performance in the playoffs.  Hopefully it'll be longer than 2 or 3 games in the wild card round.  Go Mariners!

2022 Seattle Mariner Regular Season Grades - Hitters

 The 2022 MLB season is almost finished, and with that, I thought I'd hand out some grades to some Mariner players.  They have clinched a playoff spot for the first time in 21 years.  So for that, I will tend to grade a bit on the kinder side.  However, I must take expectations into account, so if they played great last year but not this year (even if they were on another team), I will have to take that into account.  Here we go:

Starters

Cal Raleigh: A-
Cal has been a godsend for manger Scott Servais.  After his slow start, boy did he pick it up.  Imagine after Raleigh's slow start that someone told you that he would set the record that very year for home runs by a Mariners catcher.  I certainly wouldn't have believed it.  He's also handled the pitching staff like a 10-year vet.  His average still leaves a bit to be desired. So hopefully, that rises next season.

Ty France: B+
Ty had a slightly healthier season and earned his first All-Star nod.  Unfortunately, he battled injuries shortly after the break and his average plummeted.  His defense has been very good, even when he had to play a few games at third with Suarez's injury.  Hopefully, he can stay healthy all of next season.

Adam Frazier: C-
I felt a D+ grade was too harsh, but would it be?  Frazier's average has hovered around .230, .240 for the second half.  He had one small hot spurt for a few weeks, but that's about it.  Not that he was expected to have any power, but that certainly didn't show much.  His defense has been average at best.  Frazier did not do enough to secure 2nd base for the future, leaving the Mariners' front office to possibly look again for a 2nd baseman in the offseason.

JP Crawford: C+
JP's season was quite the mixed bag.  He started out very hot, hitting .300 and even showing power.  He then cooled off considerably, and his defense seems to have regressed.  But I'll give JP this: He works counts and is one of the best "battlers" on the team.  Meaning he fights and works counts as well as anyone on the team.

Eugenio Suarez: A
In the Winker/Suarez trade, Suarez was almost considered an afterthought, a salary dump.  But boy, are Mariners fans glad we got him.  He hasn't hit for the highest average and strikes out a TON, but his home runs have been the most clutch on the team, and he has provided gold glove defense at third base.  The Mariners wouldn't be in the playoffs without him.

Jesse Winker: D
Jesse gets a D for Disappointing.  He hit over .300 last season and was an All-Star.  He's not even close this season (.220 or so).  He avoids a failing grade for his clubhouse leadership and his ability to draw walks.  That's it.  I can't forget to mention his defense, which has been way below average and has definitely cost the Mariners runs.  

Julio Rodriguez: A+
Based on what we expected (or didn't expect) at the start of this season, how can I not give Julio an A+?  A 25-25 season, amazing defense, and likely will lead the team in batting average at the season's end.  I wouldn't have believed it if I had said that to myself in April.  Julio has been everything this team needed and more.  

Carlos Santana: C+
His batting average has been less than ideal, to put it nicely.  But Carlos has hit some extremely clutch home runs and played some surprisingly good defense at first base.  We also cannot forget his clubhouse leadership and his being a role model to young players like Julio.  

Mitch Haniger: D+
It may seem harsh, but I expected a lot from Mitch when he got back.  Unfortunately, he suffered a severe ankle sprain after his first at-bat back and missed several months afterward.  Mitch did hit well immediately after returning but has since cooled off.  His defense has been solid for the most part.  We needed hot Mitch for more of this season.

Bench Players/Role Players

Dylan Moore: B-
I can't give him higher than that, I'm afraid.  Dylan somehow inexplicably leads the Mariners in on-base percentage.  But his average around .210, .220 leaves a lot to be desired.  He strikes out a lot for a speedy contact guy.  However, he has played above-average defense at six positions and has gotten some clutch steals.  

Sam Haggerty: B+
"Swags," or "Swaggerty," as he's called; it's hard to believe that he was a fringe AAA early in the season.  He has played some amazing outfield and was hitting near .300 for a few months.  He's been a player Servais could plug into either corner OF spot, centerfield, or even 2nd base if need be.  

Abraham Toro: D-
Toro could just not get his average above .200.  He did provide some clutch hits, but that's about the only thing keeping him from a failing grade.  His place on the roster is in jeopardy for the future.

Jarred Kelenic: D+
Kelenic also couldn't get his average above .200.  He had three separate stints up, and it wasn't until the 3rd time that he started hitting.  Unfortunately, it was too little too late.  But Kelenic has played some solid outfield and drawn his share of walks.

Luis Torrens: C-
He had some clutch hits, and I do believe his defense has improved.  He could get a lot better at framing pitches, I will say.  But for a guy who is supposedly a "hitting" catcher, he doesn't hit well enough.  We'll see if he'll do enough to earn the job of Raleigh's backup next year.

Everyone else: INCOMPLETE
Guys like Kyle Lewis, Taylor Trammell, Curt Casali, and guys that are no longer in the organization like Jake Lamb, Justin Upton, Steven Souza, and Mike Ford just didn't have enough time for me to grade them.  

That's all for the hitters, look out for grades on the pitchers soon!