The Seattle Mariners, over the last five years or so, have been known for their elite starting pitching. They finally clawed their way back to .500 this season, but was it their pitching or their offense? Since the start of the season, the rotation hasn’t looked in top form like usual. Every pitcher has off days and blow-up outings now and then. But this season for the Mariners, it has been very inconsistent throughout the whole rotation. This by no means is saying these pitchers are bad. They just have some things that need to be fixed for this team to continue its success.
What It Looks Like
It can be normal for one pitcher to struggle throughout a season. When it is multiple, it can become an issue that affects the success of a team. So far this season, only George Kirby and Emerson Hancock have an ERA of 3.00 or better, which is great to see from them. Overall, the team stats for the rotation still look good. They have a 3.78 ERA in 258.1 innings pitched, which ranks third in the MLB. They are middle-of-the-road in strikeouts at 24. Ranking 24th in the league in opponent batting average at .258 and 19th in the league in home runs given up at 27th. Every starter has had at least six starts this season, and all except Hancock and Kirby have had an outing giving up five or more earned runs.
The Issues
The biggest issue in this starting rotation right now is Luis Castillo. His age is really starting to show, and it is looking like he is losing his stuff. As of now, he has an alarming 6.35 ERA. He also has a 26/11 K/BB ratio, showing his command issues. With the Mariners ranking 19th in home runs, it isn’t alarming, but it is an issue. Throughout the season, it isn’t expected that every starter will be perfect. However, with almost every pitcher having a tough outing in the first two months, it is something that can be an issue. Logan Gilbert has had only two quality starts (QS) in his seven outings so far this season. With Bryce Miller coming back soon, it will be interesting to see what changes they make.
Thoughts Going Forward
All in all, this is still one of the best rotations in baseball. The team is winning games, and the fans are happy for the most part. The issues aren’t season-ending, but being towards the middle/end in some rankings isn’t ideal. With Castillo looking like his age is starting to show, and his contract on the back end, it will be interesting to see the direction the team goes. If his outings continue to look the same, it would be expected that there will be a change. There is one thing known: these starters, for the most part, will keep the team in each game. If the offense continues to produce, this will be a very dangerous team. Hancock has been unbelievable so far, which not many saw coming. Kirby continues to go late in games and fill up the zone. Gilbert is striking out a lot of batters. Finally, Bryan Woo is looking like an all-around All-Star. This team is not in a bad spot, but if the inconsistencies continue, it could lead to issues.
Main Photo Credit: John Froschauer-Imagn Images
