Seattle, WA

In a Seattle state of mind, Carlos Vargas impresses with retooled command

Published

10 months ago

April 1, 2025

In a Seattle state of mind, Carlos Vargas impresses with retooled command

Last night’s ugly loss to the Tigers had a few redeeming moments, although mostly on the offensive side of the ball, as will be the case when the pitching uncharacteristically gives up 18 hits and nine runs. But there was one bright spot on the mound: pitcher Carlos Vargas announced himself to Mariners fans in a big way, with a heroic nearly 3.2-inning effort where he allowed one inherited runner to score and had one run score on a combination of tough-luck hits (ground ball single, parachute single that should have been caught, ground ball single well off third base that Polanco couldn’t make a play on).

“Vargy, that was huge last night, being able to give us as many innings as he did” said Mariners manager Dan Wilson. “He had so many quick innings because he was attacking the zone and his ball was moving and they weren’t able to square it up, so that really gave us some much-needed length in the game.”

Mariners fans might not know Vargas as well, but Tacoma Rainiers fans are well acquainted with the slender hurler, who was acquired in the Eugenio Suárez trade-slash-salary dump with the Diamondbacks prior to the 2024 season. While trade-mate Seby Zavala got the most big-league playing time of the two that season, Vargas was the most interesting piece in that deal, with a sinker that even outdueled Andrés Muñoz’s in heat and an equally spicy four-seamer, both of which zipped in around 98-99. The caveat, because of course teams don’t give away these kinds of relievers for free, is that Vargas struggled to command that big stuff, a primary reason why the pitching-savvy Guardians, who originally signed Vargas as an IFA in 2016, flipped him to Arizona in a minor-league deal in the first place.

Vargas spent all of 2024 with Tacoma Rainiers, working on dialing in his command. Command is famously one of the hardest things to fix, but the Mariners pitching lab saw tantalizing stuff from Vargas, whose Stuff+ grades out very well, and a possibility to coax him into a more zone-focused mentality. Mariners pitching development preaches that pitchers should trust their stuff, throw their best pitches the most often, and not be afraid to throw in the zone. Vargas took those lessons to heart; he cut his walk rate in Tacoma literally in half from where it was in Arizona, the first single-digit walk rate of his career since he was at Low-A.

“Here they teach you, attack the strike zone,” said Vargas through translator Freddy Llanos, describing the changes he’s made in Seattle not as mechanical, but in mentality. “Always get ahead in the count, go out there and compete.”

Along with the walks, Vargas’s strikeouts also dropped, as he dialed back his highest-octane stuff. His sinker now comes in at a more modest 96 vs. 99. Between the upped sinker usage in lieu of his four-seamer from his Arizona days and the scaling back of his velocity, his profile is now firmly that of a groundball specialist in lieu of a strikeout maven. Contrast the two sinkers, first from Vargas in 2023 during his big league debut season, with a firm, running fastball that has almost purely arm-side movement and minimal drop:

Take that against one of his better sinkers from his Monday night outing against Detroit, which now features a significantly more drop-focused movement profile (and a more useful visual angle, thank you ROOT):

He still throws a hard cutter, at 92, which is his primary whiff-getting pitch, with sharp late downward break. He rounds out the arsenal with two secondaries he throws almost exclusively in two-strike or favorable counts: a changeup for weak-contact outs at the bottom of the zone; and a slider with has plus drop that he’ll throw up in the zone for whiffs and flyouts (and, in one regrettable instance, a Luis Urías home run).

While some organizations tinker with pitchers’ mechanics, encouraging them to change arm angles or change their position on the pitching rubber, Mariners pitching coach Pete Woodworth said that’s not at all a part of Seattle’s pitching development, which hammers home attacking the zone and trusting your stuff. “We show them what happens in two-strike counts” he said. “It’s just that easy. No one wants to believe it, but it is.”

In fact, he says the next step for Vargas—as it is for several of his pitchers—is getting him to expand the zone low with two strikes, and getting him off the plate.

For Vargas, he’s embraced the bigger-picture mentality.

“I’m just trying to be focused all the time” he said through Llanos. “Focused on intent, and how I can stay here, and how I can help the team. And I feel like every step I take, it’s with a purpose.”

That focus was on display last night as Vargas kept the Mariners in a game that looked to be a runaway blowout early on. His efforts saved the rest of the bullpen, and demonstrated his newfound zone-focused mentality and sense of intention, as he competed with every pitch, seemingly without regard for the scoreboard.

“Player of the game,” said Wodworth. “Maybe player of the week.”

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Seattle, WA

Game Preview #47: Seattle Kraken @ New Jersey Devils

Published

9 hours ago

January 14, 2026

Press Room

Game Preview #47: Seattle Kraken @ New Jersey Devils

The Matchup: Seattle Kraken (21-15-8) @ New Jersey Devils (23-21-2)
The Time: 7:00 pm EST
The Broadcast: MSGSN, Devils Hockey Radio

On Monday night, the Devils defeated the Minnesota Wild 5-2. After a disastrous start to their road trip, which saw the Devils lost the first 3 games in a row, the Devils were able to close out the trip with a victory. The win was their 1st in their last 5 games, and only their 3rd in their last 11 games.

Jacob Markstrom got the start and gave the Devils a chance to win (or as I like to call it, he did his job), only letting up 2 goals. It helped that on the same night, the offense decided to do their job for once too. I would assume that Keefe goes back to Jake Allen for the game tonight, as Markstrom has not started in back to back games since 12/3 and 12/5. However, at this point in the season, crazier things have happened, so we shall have to wait and see.

Dawson Mercer got the Devils on the board at 10:07 of the 1st period to give the good guys a 1-0 lead heading into the 2nd period. Ryan Hartman tied it up for the Wild at 13:41 of the 2nd, before Ondrej Palat scored with 8 seconds left in the period to give the Devils back the lead at 2-1. I assure you, I double checked it. It’s correct. Palat did in fact score a goal. His 3rd of the season. I can’t believe it either.

Jesper “Wait…I don’t HAVE to pass every time I have the puck?” Bratt scored not once, but twice…less than a minute apart in the 3rd period to put the Devils up 4-1. Dougie “I’m confused, do you guys want me or no?” Hamilton had assists on both Bratt goals. In a sure sign that hell is about to freeze over, Palat scored his second goal of the game at 9:39 of the 3rd. Yes folks, Palat matched his goal total, for the entire season so far, in one game. Marcus Foligno added a meaningless PP goal at 19:41 of the 3rd and the Devils won 5-2.

On Monday, the Kraken defeated our hated rivals, the New York Rangers by a score of 4-2. Mika Zibanejad and Sam Carrick gave the ~~rich New Yorkers who pretend to be actual hockey fans, but real hockey fans can’t afford tickets at MSG, so the arena is filled with these people instead~~ Rangers faithful false hope with a 2-1 lead after the 1st period. However, the Kraken would go on to score 2 goals in the 2nd period and 2 more in the 3rd period to send the Rangers crowd home disappointed, which is always a good thing. So in this case, way to go Seattle!

Phillip Grubauer started in net against the Rangers on Monday. Considering that he hasn’t started back to back games since 11/13 and 11/15, I would expect Joe Daccord to get the start in net tonight against the Devils. Their game tonight against the Devils is their 3rd game of a 5 game road trip.

Injuries, Roster for Tonight, Yada, Yada, Yada.

In news which I still find hard to believe, the Devils actually have a healthy roster at the moment. I don’t want to jinx it, so I will not say it out loud, but I believe typing it out is safe. With the win, it is probably safe to assume that Hamilton will stay in the lineup tonight and that Nemec is back to being one of the players on the short list of those that are held accountable. However, it’s possible that the Devils are trying to shop Hamilton, so who knows if and when that happens (a trade) or if and when Nemec gets back into the lineup. As of this writing, I’d expect to see Hamilton play tonight, but we shall see what news comes out before the game tonight.

Grimace’s Prediction and 2025-2026 Record Tracker

Grimace was very pleased to see a win last night. For his mental sanity though, he’s still choosing to stay on his self induced break from predictions for now. His apologies.

Grimace’s 2025-2026 Season Prediction record currently stands at 12-10-0.

It was great to see the Devils get a win in their last game against Minnesota. It was a much needed win, at a minimum, to break the losing streak and the seemingly endless cycle of negativity. I am still of the view though, that it was 1 game. When they start winning, more than they lose, then I will start to have some more confidence. I am confident in this though. With everything that has been going on lately with this team, if the Devils come out flat tonight and/or play a stinker on the level of the 9-0 Islanders game, the home crowd is going to get absolutely brutal. Feel free to leave your thoughts and comments below and thanks for reading!

In a shameless bit of non hockey related self promotion (approved by Chris – thanks Chris), I wanted to plug my brand new podcast on here, if any of you are interested in listening. We have a light hearted, fun discussion about any movies, music or video games mostly from the 1980s and 1990s. Please feel free to listen to us on any of the formats below and any feedback is welcome (positive and negative). Also, please follow us and subscribe, even if you think we stink. 🙂

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Seattle, WA

How the Seahawks got their name 50 years ago

Published

21 hours ago

January 13, 2026

Press Room

How the Seahawks got their name 50 years ago

STEILACOOM, WA – Fifty years ago, the Seattle Seahawks got its name through a radio competition where fans got the chance to choose a name.

“I think it’s the best name ever,” said Tom Barnum.

In 1975, Barnum learned he would have a chance to name the new Seattle NFL team.

He tells FOX 13 Seattle he sent in a few suggestions, including sockeyes, ospreys, mariners (this competition was two years before the Seattle Mariners’ first season), but we all know what came out is the winner: The Seahawks.

According to the Seahawks, the organization received more than 20,000 entries and nearly 1,741 different suggestions.

Barnum was one of about 150 people who entered the name Seahawks.

As acknowledgment for his suggestion, the newly named Seahawks organization sent Barnum a personalized team yearbook/program, as well as two complimentary tickets for the season.

This year, Barnum was recognized again. The Beast Bus Family learned his story and got Barnum, his sons, and his grandson tickets to the Hawks game versus the Colts in December.

Courtesy of the Beast Bus Family

The good, the bad, and the ugly

The Seahawks received nearly 2,000 team name suggestions. Some of them make sense, others have to be satire.

Here is a list alphabetically of all the names the Seahawks listed as other suggestions from the 1975 contest.

A

Aardvarks, Aleuts, Aero-Techs, About Timers, Anchovies, Alkis, Asters Domes, Abominable Snowmen, Alki Ants, Apple Knockers, Aqua-Ducks;

B

Bigfoots, Blue Sounders, Bunyan, Bumbershoots, Buffalo Chips, Belaying Pins, Billy Goats, Buzz Saws, Bronze Bobcats, Bay Hawks;

C

Catamounts, Clouds, Cloudbursts, Clam Diggers, Cool Dudes, City Slickers, Cockatoos, Cumulo Nimbos, Crabs, Cutthroats, Chowderheads, Chinook Passers;

D

Daffy Ducks, Domebusters, Diarrheas, Dogwoods, Drizzlers, Ding Dongs, Dreadnaughts;

E-F

Electric Loggers, Ferrys, Flounders, Frogs, Fruits Pickers, Flying Wedges, Ferrets;

G

Green State Geoducks, Green Giants, Go-E-Ducks, Gnomes;

H

Hammerheads, Harpooners, Halibut Heads, Herman’s Hermits, Hydrofoils;

I

Ichi Ban, Identified Flying Objects, Igloos;

K

Koala Bears, Killer Whales, Kelpers, Kilowatts, King Krabs;

L-M

Lucky Loggers, Microwaves, Mongooses, Major Domos, Montlakes;

N

Nibblers, Nutcrackers, Nordy’s Best, Nanuks;

O

Orangutans, O-Zones;

P

Peckerwoods, Pachyderms, Playwrights, Puget Puffers, Puddle Jumpers, Pacific Crests, Pike Street Misfits, Plimsoll Marks, Peacemakers;

Q

Queen City Quinaults, Quicksands;

R

Rainbirds, Rainy Ramblers, Rain-Dears, Running Salmon, Raining Suns, Rain Gods, Rainbeams, Red Tide, Roaches, Roosters, Royal Broughams, Roostertails, Rain-Beaux, Rain Hawks;

S

Sodbusters, Sounders, Spunkies, Spittoons, Sea Urchins, Salty Dogs, Sheep, 747’s, Silver Sasquatches, Skeletons, Sardines, Sperm Whales, Sleazies, Sonics, Snowflakes, Sourdoughs, Squids, Snorkels, Sinbads, Salamanders, Sun Dodgers, Scoundrels, Shamans, Sky Hawks, Stiletoes, Space Needlers, Scampi, Superscenics, Sawdust Eaters, Spodiodees, Soggies, Saints ‘n Sinners, Shrimps;

T

Ticks, Tremites, Toads, Third Degree;

U & V

Undertow, Vampires;

W

Waumpums, Weather Beaters, Woodpeckers, Water Hawks, Washington Georges, White Roosters;

Y-Z

Yogas, Zonkers, Zodiacs.

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The Source: Information in this story came from the Seattle Seahawks, the Beast Bus Family, and original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.

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Seattle, WA

How to watch Seattle Seahawks vs San Francisco 49ers playoff game

Published

1 day ago

January 13, 2026

Press Room

How to watch Seattle Seahawks vs San Francisco 49ers playoff game

SEATTLE – The Seattle Seahawks are hosting the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday in a prime time rivalry game in the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs.

This will be the Seahawks’ second consecutive game against the 49ers, having beaten them in Week 18 to clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC, earning a first-round bye. They now meet again, this time with the winner advancing to the NFC Championship.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) is congratulated by head coach Mike Macdonald during the first half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn

Keep reading for details on the Seahawks vs 49ers playoff game, and how to watch it live.

When is the Seahawks vs 49ers playoff game?

The Seahawks and 49ers will face off in the NFC Divisional Round at 5 p.m. PT on Saturday, Jan. 17.

Where is the Seahawks vs 49ers playoff game?

The Seahawks have homefield advantage after securing the #1 seed in the NFC, with the 49ers traveling to Lumen Field in Seattle.

What TV channel is the Seahawks vs 49ers playoff game on?

The Seahawks vs 49ers playoff game will air on FOX 13 in the Seattle area. You can watch Gameday on FOX 13 for pregame coverage and postgame analysis.

The game is also available to watch with a subscription to FOX One or NFL+.

What radio station is the Seahawks game on?

To listen to the game, fans can tune into Seattle Sports 710 AM, KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM, the Seahawks mobile app, SiriusXM 226, 225 or 88, and on the SiriusXM app.

Steve Raible and Dave Wyman will call the action with Jen Mueller as the sideline reporter.

More on the Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks secured the No. 1 seed in the NFC after beating the 49ers in Week 18, winning 13-3 in a hard-fought defensive battle.

The teams now meet each other in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs, after San Francisco took down the defending Super Bowl champions in the Wild Card Round, the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Seahawks and 49ers also met at the beginning of the season, where the Niners came out on top 17-13. The Hawks are currently on a seven-game winning streak, but got a bye week as the No. 1 seed.

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To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.

Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.

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