MAKING THE PITCH: Seattle Mariners

Felipe M

Even though the season has started, it's still early enough to take a quick look at the rest of the pitching staffs.

Take a quick (and I do mean 'quick') look at the San Diego Padres. 

Here are the Seattle Mariners:

2013 Pitching Projections
Player	Team	K/BB	K/9	BB/9	H/9	WHIP	HR/9
Felix Hernandez	Seattle	3.69	8.47	2.30	7.64	1.10	0.68
Hisashi Iwakuma	Seattle	2.34	7.42	3.17	8.49	1.30	0.79
Joe Saunders	Seattle	2.05	5.30	2.58	9.47	1.34	1.08
Tom Wilhelmsen	Seattle	2.03	7.73	3.80	7.10	1.21	0.76

Blake Beaven had a bad spring, but did not give up a walk, which should be no surprise as he's had great control throughout his young career.  It was enough to win the #5 spot in the rotation.  Unfortunately, his strikeout totals are so terrible, it pretty much cancels out any fantasy value that he would have had in 2013.  

And I have this belief that Joe Saunders and Clayton Richard are each other's clones.

Hisashi Iwakuma had a solid spring and with solid projections, he might be a solid contributor in fantasy leagues.  

Brandon Maurer, the #6 Mariners' prospect per Baseball Prospectus, is the #4 starter.  He had a decent spring as well and quite a surprise.  Only 22, it's tough to figure out what kind of season he might have this year.  His 2012 stats from Double-A are actually pretty similar to Iwakuma's projections so he might worth the roll of the dice if you're desperate for pitching.  He's still available in 65% of CBS leagues.

I would try to avoid Tom Wilhelmsen as much as possible.  Of all the pitchers that were projected to be closers this season, he has the 3rd worst K/BB.  He simply doesn't strike out enough hitters and walks too many batters.  The only thing he has going is that there seems to be nobody that can challenge him in the Mariners' bullpen.  Plus, the M's are supposed to win more games with a slightly improved offense and adequate pitching staff (think of the Orioles from last season).  Plus, they have plenty of young, promising pitchers in the farm system that can help later in the year if the team is in playoff contention (again, just like the Orioles from 2012).  Otherwise, he's a very unappealing closer.

Finally, Felix Hernandez.  He signed a big fat contract in the offseason as he's basically volunteering his time and effort (again, this is all relative; he could be with the Yankees or Dodgers making the same money, but with a lot more help) to carry this franchise on his back.  I had him ranked as my 6th best pitcher entering this season, but he can quickly move up the ladder this year.  The numbers, whether projections or real, speak for themselves.  It's the character and passion for this team that I wanted to spotlight.  Usually I'm cynical about a player saying "it wasn't about the money," and how he "wanted to stay in Seattle," but I really feel that it's genuine with Hernandez.  Either that or he can really make himself cry on command.

More MLB content is available here.

To check out the rest of the other pitching staffs, click here. 

MARDI GRAS MADNESS: Texas Power Drinkers

Felipe M

We continue on our reviews for our fantasy baseball league, Mardi Gras Madness.  Please take some time to read about The Evil Empire.

Up next is yet another team out of Lone Star State.  And apparently, they like to drink--a lot:

EAST DIVISION--Texas Power Drinkers 

BATTING LINEUP

Like: Matt Kemp has turned into a beast since 2010 in terms of counting stats.  He strikes out too much, but does enough to get on base and his power and speed makes him a legit player in both Roto and Points leagues.  Coming in for support are Billy Butler, Yadier Molina, Aaron Hill and Jason Heyward.

Dislike: Admittedly, out of desperation, I was thinking of picking up Erick Aybar as my SS options were disappearing at my draft.  Luckily, I didn’t have to.  Aybar is a pesky hitter, but comes equipped with a low on-base%. 

Nick Markakis will need to prove that he is still a
relevant player in fantasy baseball
(photo courtesy of Mike McCann)

Look Out For: Carl Crawford if it turns out that his stint as a Red Sox was just an aberration.  Many in the SABR community think that Crawford is declining at a dangerous pace, but for once I’m optimistic about a player.  New league, new scene, and a clean bill of health might return Crawford into a top hitter again.  Also, Kendry Morales in Seattle as they move the fences in.  He should be able to produce if he’s able to stay healthy for a full year.  And finally, Jeff Keppinger is a sneaky player to keep track of.  He qualifies everywhere on the infield except for SS.  He had a surprising year in 2012 and has been hitting the ball all spring long (at one point he was hitting well above .500--batting average). 

Bench: Keppinger will hold down 3B for the injured David Freese.  Hanley Ramirez is on the mend, but will surely replace either Aybar or Keppinger, depending on who’s struggling upon his return.  Currently, Nick Markakis is slotted as the DH, but if he can’t hit for a bit more power, I can see a scenario where both will share duties at that spot. 

2013 Hitting Projections
Player	Team	Pos	BB/K	AB/K	AB/HR	OBP	SLG	OPS	SB
Matt Kemp	Los Angeles	CF	0.41	3.83	17.20	0.366	0.533	0.899	19
Billy Butler	Kansas City	1B	0.61	5.98	23.99	0.374	0.495	0.869	2
Kendry Morales	Seattle	1B	0.30	4.38	22.03	0.326	0.464	0.790	0
Nick Markakis	Baltimore	RF	0.80	7.86	38.74	0.362	0.441	0.803	5
Aaron Hill	Arizona	2B	0.55	7.07	27.68	0.335	0.460	0.795	12

PITCHING

Like: King Felix Hernandez is the ace of this staff.  He will be supported by Doug Fister who has been great since being traded to Detroit.  I also like Mat Latos.  Even when he was traded to the Reds, I was still trying to draft him in all of my leagues last season because I believe in his abilities.  Then there’s Matt Moore who will look to take another step forward in his progression to become a legit, 1^st Tier SP.

Dislike: This team makes it too easy for me: UbaldoJimenez and Jason Vargas were good enough to make this squad.  Wow!  Luckily, this team has plenty of pitching depth where they’re not in desperate need for these two, mediocre, pitchers’ services.

Look Out For: There are a few candidates here.   Brett Anderson was struggling during the spring as he tried to overcome a neck injury.  When he’s on, he is a legit, 2^nd Tier pitcher.  Lance Lynn, if he is able to pitch like he did early in 2012, this team will have a pitching staff that will overwhelm opponents.  

2013 Pitching Projections
Player	Team	K/BB	K/9	BB/9	H/9	WHIP	HR/9
Doug Fister	Detroit	3.63	6.65	1.83	9.21	1.23	0.81
Brett Anderson	Oakland	3.28	6.78	2.07	8.79	1.21	0.72
Lance Lynn	St. Louis	2.92	8.75	3.00	8.16	1.24	0.89

Drew Smyly was an interesting selection by this club.  Even though he was relegated to the bullpen, he is still pitching deep into spring games.  I was shocked to see that the Tigers did not send him down the Minors as it was reported early in the spring that Smyly would be starting in 2013, either in the Majors or Minors.  I can’t envision him as a SP in a Tigers’ uniform because the rotation is full of pitchers that can rack up the innings, but it’s clear that the Tigers are up to something. 

Finally, lurking in the Minors is Zach Wheeler who might be brought up sometime in 2013.  Selfishly, I would prefer sooner rather than later as I anxiously wait to see what this kid can do in the Majors.  As I mentioned before, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Mets wait until September like they did with Matt Harvey. 

Bullpen: As much as I’m shaken by last year’s roller-coaster ride that was Addison Reed, I think he will be a bit more stable in 2013.  After battling an infected tooth, Rafael Soriano seems to be ready to go for 2013.  In terms of K/BB, he rated middle of the pack among qualified closers in that category so there’s a slight concern there.  Put it another way, Glen Perkins ranks ahead of Soriano in that category.

PREDICTION: This club has themselves a good collection of players.  As always with this franchise, I’m highly impressed with the balance they are able to achieve in their lineup after every single draft.  This year, however, I have to caution my expectations of this team due to the fact that there are way too many “ifs” on this club.  “If this guy comes back healthy,” “if this guy can pitch like he’s supposed to,” “if this guy can bounce back,” “etc.”  It’s ok to gamble on one or two players whose stock fell for whatever reason, but when it becomes the basis on building your franchise for any upcoming season, it tends to hurt more than help you in the end.  

More fantasy baseball is available here.

You can view the other Mardi Gras Madness teams here. 

HOW I BECAME A MARINERS' FAN

Mariners for life!

Johnny J

Johnny J tells the tale on how he began rooting for the Seattle Mariners.  

Little League Baseball: where it all
started.  Big thanks to my teammates
for signing this ball.

As a kid, I loved to play baseball. I played tee-ball for a couple of years and then I moved up to Little League Mustang. I was a kid who just loved to hit homeruns. I even developed the nickname Johnny "Homerun" Jackson because of it. I use to hit homeruns every time I went up to the plate. My coach was so desperate to have me play in the games that when I didn't have a ride to the park, my coach would offer to pick me up from my house. Now that's what I call having the team on your back.

I looked up to a bigger kid named Ken Griffey Jr., who played for a team called the Seattle Mariners. Little did I know it was going to be the start of a beautiful relationship for years to come.



I use to watch Griffey hit homeruns every time he went up to the plate. While watching Griffey do his thing, I started liking some of the players that surrounded him.  Players such as:

• Edgar Martinez
• Jay Buhner
• Randy Johnson 
• and a young, needle-free Alex Rodriguez

I eventually started rooting for the team. I also was one of the few fans that liked their old, the Kingdome. A beautiful, teal-colored, turf under the dome. Blue Grass at its finest!


Every year the Mariners would be so good in the regular season, but they could never get it done in the playoffs and eventually, they started losing all of their stars. But I was always loyal to my team, hoping that we can develop new stars. The rebuilding project got underway as soon as they signed Ichiro Suzuki, who is probably one of the best hitters ever in baseball. They developed a young Felix Hernandez, who won the Cy Young in 2010. Glad to see we just gave him an extension worth $175 million (be sure to check out the videos in that link--Ed); the highest paid pitcher in baseball. Right now, my team is not good, but that's my team. I stick with one team, until they give me a reason not to like them.

My Mariners' gym shoes

It's not easy being a Mariners' fan in Chicago. I can only see them when they come into town. They usually get slaughtered by the Chicago White Sox. Plus they're never featured on ESPN or FOX, which brings me to my next point: should I order an expensive baseball package just to watch my team lose? I use to actually purchase said package, but I haven't in the last year and I wont until they give me a reason to make me feel like my money is not being wasted.

My biggest let down is Seattle letting all these good players go.  I would read stories on how they claim they're getting young prospects in return (be sure to read our Prospects' review feature, here--Ed). Well, how long does it take for these prospects to grow into good players? When we traded for Cliff Lee, he only stayed with us for a half a season. We didn't get anything good in return. Instead we got a young prospect named Justin Smoak (Career BB:K of .49--Ed) from the Rangers who hits homeruns--sometimes.  Most of the time he strikes out. Also why would you trade a good player to someone in your own division?  That's just stupid!  Its good he didn't sign an extension after that half a season with the Rangers. It would have been more trouble for the Mariners.

Nevertheless, after stupid moves like that, I still root for my team. A team filled with young players and losing records.  A team that will probably be my team for years to come. Thanks to a great player and drug free Ken Grffey Jr (For now...--Ed). Even though baseball is not my favorite sport anymore, I still have my favorite team and great memories to look back on: like the Mariners eliminating the New York Yankees in game 5 of the ALCS, Felix Hernandez's perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays, or Ichiro hitting two homeruns for me when I went to see the Mariners game at U.S. Cellular Field last year. Out of the nine times the White Sox played the Mariners, they won one game. I was there in my Ichiro t-shirt when they won. He even helped me win a bet. I look forward to the next time I see a great memorable moment from my team, the Seattle Mariners.



To read more about the Mariners, click here.

All photos courtesy of Johnny "Homerun" Jackson.