2022 Series Preview 3: Houston Astros @ Seattle Mariners

The Narrative

The Mariners got here into the 2022 season with numerous hype that this might lastly be the yr that they break the curse and return to the playoffs for the primary time since 2001. Not solely that, however they had been additionally the attractive choose to be the crew that will dethrone Houston because the AL West representatives.

That sentiment is based on the M’s improved pitching, anchored by the signing of free agent Robbie Ray, and an offense that was anticipated to take an enormous step ahead this season and options numerous up-and-coming younger gamers. In addition they picked up 2B Adam Frazier to assist bolster stated offense and convey a gentle veteran presence to the locker room.

Sadly for Seattle, issues haven’t performed out all that nicely within the still-early 2022 season. The Mariners received their first two video games out of the gate after which promptly dropped the subsequent 4 and their second collection of the season to the White Sox. An enormous a part of that collection loss got here from an implosion of shiny new starter Robbie Ray, who simply couldn’t discover his stuff in his second begin.

Nonetheless, as would be the case for almost all of April, it’s means too early to attract any conclusions from that. The Mariners are an improved amount and it’s not like they had been dealing with off in opposition to lightweights to start out the season. They’ll proceed to check their mettle as they tackle the Astros, their third straight collection opponent that’s anticipated to compete for a playoff spot.

The Offense

The Mariners’ offense has been a little bit gradual out of the gate. That’s to not say that there haven’t been vivid spots within the early going, however there actually haven’t been an excessive amount of stand out performances when checked out throughout the course of their first two collection.

The M’s presently sit twenty third within the league with a collective .630 OPS. They’re greater than able to taking walks although, with 31 to date this yr (t-4th in MLB) and can swipe a bag or two once they get on.

Notable Gamers

J.P. Crawford: Over the course of their first seven video games, one participant has actually stood out amongst the M’s corps of younger gamers: J.P. Crawford. At the moment slashing .417/.500/.542, Crawford has 3 doubles, 4 walks, a stolen base, and has solely struck out as soon as throughout 24 AB’s. That is welcome information for the Mariners, who signed the younger Crawford to a 5-year extension this previous offseason, locking him up by 2026.

Mitch Haniger: Haniger has been the largest energy risk to date for the M’s, slapping 4 additional base hits and main the crew with 3 residence runs. Nevertheless, his downside has been really making contact. These 4 additional base hits are the one hits he’s been in a position to get throughout 29 AB’s and he’s presently slashing .138/.167/.483

Julio Rodriguez: Rodriguez is taken into account the No. 9 prospect in all of baseball and made the Mariners out of Spring Coaching with numerous hype surrounding him. Nevertheless, he hasn’t actually carried out the way in which one would hope, slashing a paltry .095/.174/.143 and main the crew with 12 strikeouts. Clearly it’s means too early to name him a bust, however Rodriguez is anticipated to be an enormous a part of Seattle’s future and his returns have been lower than encouraging within the early going.

The Pitching

The Mariners’ bullpen was a power for them final season and appears to stay so after they introduced again numerous the identical items. The crew normally doesn’t designate a more in-depth or setup man, as an alternative preferring to play the matchups, which works simply high-quality for a crew with numerous good choices like they’ve.

To that impact three totally different relievers have been deployed in save alternatives for Seattle to date this season: Drew Steckenrider, Diego Castillo, and Andres Munoz. Paul Sewald can be a candidate for prime leverage work, so I wouldn’t be shocked if the Astros see him late in a recreation this collection. Munoz is the one participant to surrender the save to date however he does have a 101 MPH fastball, which is able to normally play up within the backend of the bullpen.

Additionally price mentioning that previous buddy and present nemesis Ken Giles is on the Mariners’ roster, however he’s additionally on the IL with a tendon difficulty in his pitching hand. If Giles can return to his earlier kind (his good one I imply for all of the wiseacres within the feedback part) he’ll add yet one more weapon to an already potent bullpen.

Starter Matchups

Recreation 1: Jake Odorizzi (RHP, 0-0, 4.50 ERA, 2 Ok’s) vs Marco Gonzalez (0-1, 9.00 ERA, 1 Ok)

Marco Gonzalez’s first begin of the season didn’t go in response to plan for the 8-year veteran, who solely managed a 2-inning begin earlier than getting lifted. The one factor maintaining his stats from trying even worse was a 2-out error that made 4 of the 6 runs he surrendered in opposition to the Twins unearned. Gonzalez has been a gentle presence within the Mariners’ rotation for years now, averaging a 4.00 ERA within the 3 full size seasons he’s performed for them, so I wouldn’t take one dangerous begin to coronary heart if I had been a Mariners fan.

Recreation 2: Justin Verlander (RHP, 0-1, 1.80 ERA, 7 Ok’s) vs Chris Flexen (RHP, 0.1, 6.23 ERA, 3 Ok’s)

Chris Flexen’s first begin of the season was simply as uncharacteristic as Marco Gonzalez’s because the younger starter gave up 3 runs and three walks in simply 4.1 innings of labor. However I wouldn’t anticipate an excessive amount of extra of the identical after Flexen’s breakout 2021, which noticed him pitching to a 3.61 ERA throughout 179.2 innings. Nevertheless, his Spring Coaching numbers had been additionally fairly ugly (13 runs in 16 innings), so perhaps that is what he’s for the foreseeable future.

Recreation 3: José Urquidy (RHP, 1-0, 1.80 ERA, 2 Ok’s) vs Matt Brash (RHP, 0-1, 3.38 ERA, 6 Ok’s)

Matt Brash will come into this recreation recent off his MLB debut the place he delivered precisely what the Mariners had been hoping for from their No. 6 prospect. Although he finally took the loss, that got here after 5.1 innings of 2-run ball with 6 strikeouts and simply 1 stroll. The truth that that line got here in opposition to the White Sox, anticipated to be the cream of the AL Central, can be an encouraging signal for his younger profession.

For Your Viewing and Listening Pleasure

Recreation 1: Friday, April fifteenth @ 8:42 pm CDT
Hear: Astros – KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2, KTRH 740 AM/99.1 FM HD-2, TUDN 93.3/KLAT 1010 / Mariners – KIRO 710
Watch: Astros – ATT SportsNet-SW / Mariners – ROOTNW

Recreation 2: Friday, April sixteenth @ 8:10 pm CDT
Hear: Astros – KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2, KTRH 740 AM/99.1 FM HD-2, TUDN 93.3/KLAT 1010 / Mariners – KIRO 710
Watch: Astros – ATT SportsNet-SW / Mariners – ROOTNW

Recreation 3: Sunday, April seventeenth @ 3:10 pm CDT
Hear: Astros – KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2, TUDN 93.3/KLAT 1010 / Mariners – KIRO 710
Watch: Astros – ATT SportsNet-SW / Mariners – ROOTNW / MLB Community (out-of-market solely)