Seattle, WA
Why the Seattle Mariners 'feel great' about their 2025 bullpen
After being a major part of the team’s success in recent years, the bullpen was a surprising factor in the Seattle Mariners’ downfall last season.
GM Hollander: How Seattle Mariners view their infield for 2025
The overall numbers for the group were actually pretty solid. It finished ninth among MLB teams in ERA (3.71), 15th in FIP (3.91) and fourth in strikeout rate (9.57 K/9) while surrendering the second-least amount of hard contact (27.1%). But when the Mariners struggled for the first two months of the summer and saw their 10-game lead in the American League West crumble in a record-setting 24 days, a number of blow-ups from the bullpen were a main culprit.
From June 19 to Aug. 21, many of the numbers listed above declined steeply while the team went through a brutal 20-33 run. Seattle’s bullpen ranked 20th in ERA (4.20), 22nd in FIP (4.31) and eighth in strikeout rate (9.52 K/9) while giving up the 11th-least amount of hard contact (30.0%). During that stretch, the bullpen produced a minus-0.5 fWAR and nearly as many blown saves (15) as saves (18).
The Mariners didn’t add a significant piece to their bullpen this offseason, but general manager Justin Hollander is confident in the group heading into 2025. He explained why during a conversation Wednesday with Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy.
The anticipated return of hard-throwing right-hander Matt Brash is a big reason.
“I mostly feel great about the bullpen because Matt is doing great, and really, really we missed Matt a lot last year,” Hollander said. “I can’t overstate how valuable he is as sort of a fixer. We would call him the pivot man or a setup man in previous iterations of bullpen construction. He’s one of the best relievers in baseball.”
Brash was a major component in Seattle’s bullpen in 2022 and 2023. He was often called upon to use elite ability to miss bats to escape jams with runners on base. In 2023, he led MLB with 78 games pitched and posted a 3.06 ERA with 107 strikeouts over 70 2/3 innings. All-Star Baltimore Orioles closer Félix Bautista was the only reliever to strike out more batters that season.
However, Brash didn’t throw a pitch during the 2024 season for the Mariners. He started the year on the injured list with right elbow inflammation before eventually undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow.
“He is doing phenomenally well,” Hollander said of Brash’s rehab process. “I would anticipate that he’s back in big league games, if he stays on track, by the end of April – which is a big boost for our club.”
A healthy Brash would give the Mariners another high-leverage reliever to bridge the gap to All-Star closer Andrés Muñoz. Seattle is hoping right-hander Gregory Santos can have a healthy season, too, after he battled multiple injuries in 2024.
Hollander also pointed to the emergence of right-hander Colin Snider and the performances of fellow righties Trent Thornton and Eduard Bazardo as reasons to be optimistic about the bullpen.
“We feel like we have a really good bullpen from the right side,” Hollander said.
As for the lefties? The Mariners are set to welcome back Tahoma High School alum Tayler Saucedo (who has a 3.54 ERA over 86 1/3 innings in two seasons with Seattle) and are hoping for a rebound campaign from Gabe Speier. Speier posted a 3.79 ERA over 54 2/3 innings in 2023, but struggled after a strong April last year. After allowing only one run in 12 April appearances, Speier had five outings with two runs allowed in May before landing on the IL with a rotator cuff strain in his pitching arm. He bounced between Seattle and Triple-A Tacoma after returning and finished the year with a 5.70 ERA in 23 2/3 big league innings.
“(We) feel like he’s going to come back and has had a really good offseason building into what we think will be a big bounce back for him this year,” Hollander said.
Listen to the full conversation with Mariners general manager Justin Hollander at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
More on the Seattle Mariners
• What stood out from latest Seattle Mariners’ Hot Stove show
• Three under-the-radar Seattle Mariners prospects to watch this spring
• Dipoto Speaks: What we learned about Seattle Mariners’ offseason
• Salk: Are the M’s better? 5 things you have to buy into to say yes
• Voter who passed on Ichiro for HOF still mystery after 81% of ballots released
Seattle, WA
Outreach groups respond to the reported relocation cycle of Ballard’s homeless population
SEATTLE — As people voice concerns about an encampment in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, outreach groups are detailing their efforts and fighting back against encampment removals.
The outreach group We Heart Seattle said it checks on the people in an encampment of at least 20 people weekly to offer water, snacks, personal hygiene items, and access to treatment.
RELATED | Ballard encampment grows after city removes nearby site along Burke-Gilman Trail
The group told KOMO it believes more can be done at the city level, from policy to housing, to get the homeless connected with shelter and services.
A woman working at the Fred Meyer off NW 45th Street and 9th Avenue captured video of a fire near tents at an encampment across the street. A day later, off camera, she told KOMO News she worries about the safety of the people living in the tents and Ballard neighbors, in addition to concerns about alleged open-air drug use at the encampment.
“We became homeless because of certain situations, and we turned to drugs, and unfortunately, addiction comes next, you know?” Crystal Rawlings told KOMO News. She has set up her tent on multiple streets in Ballard, and said she’s approaching one year of being opioid-free.
She believes there’s been more city outreach since the start of the new mayoral administration to connect people living on the streets with services, but knows there’s not enough transitional housing for everyone who needs or wants it.
She and the Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger urge the city to stop encampment removals that push this group to another block.
RELATED | City removes Ballard encampment as neighboring businesses raise housing concerns
“We’re not abominations. We’re not obstructions, and we’re not trash, so stop sweeping us,” Rawlings stated.
The city is still aiming to reach Mayor Katie Wilson’s goal of adding 1,000 new units of shelter in 2026 and recently opened a tiny home village in nearby Interbay, but fell short of the goal of 500 new units by June.
Andrea Suarez with We Heart Seattle estimates at least 20 people living on the street keep getting moved around Ballard, from behind the Albert Lee store to Leary Avenue to NW 45th Street behind the Fred Meyer.
“This encampment has people that’ve been homeless for more than five years. We know their names and faces. They’re still here. They’re still stuck in late-phase addiction, frankly because it’s permitted,” Suarez explained.
RELATED | Viral makeshift homeless shelter with chimney dismantled by Seattle city crews
She believes a camping ban on city sidewalks would help encourage more people to accept shelter, and help stop the cycle of moving people without
“It is an underserved community. I think it is unfair,” Suarez added. “We’ve tried to balance between enablement and really giving people a hand up, but without the teeth and backup for the work of outreach workers, it starts to feel futile, and that’s why we get burned out.”
The mayor’s office was working to send data about its homeless response in Ballard as of Wednesday afternoon.
The Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger estimates there have been nine Ballard-area encampment removals so far this year.
SEATTLE – Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington. Eastern and central Washington will reach near 100F with high fire danger. The coast and north interior will be cooler, only in the 60s to 70s.
Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington.
Fire Weather Watch
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds. Lightning strikes could create new fire starts and, with very dry conditions in place, any new fire could spread quickly.
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds.
What’s next:
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and a chance of thunderstorms. The heaviest showers will be in the morning hours and will turn more scattered into the evening hours.
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and chance of thunderstorms.
Looking Ahead:
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine. We will start to see highs reach the upper 80s to low 90s by early next week.
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine.
MORE NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE
6-year-old Bellingham, WA boy dies from injuries after beach driftwood accident
Grandmother thwarts Pike Place kidnapping, Seattle police make arrest
‘Transfer Fire’ near Lake Chelan, WA hospital prompts evacuation notices
Here’s where WA wildfires are currently burning
Seattle office vacancy crisis shifts tax burden onto homeowners
Thurston County, WA couple desperate to find dog after Rover sitter vanishes
Husband of pregnant wife killed in Seattle sues King County homeless authority
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.
The Source: Information in this story came from the FOX 13 Seattle Weather Team and the National Weather Service.
After so many disappointing seasons with the interior offensive line, the Seattle Seahawks made a commitment last offseason to improve the unit. They started one big step at a time by drafting North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel in the first round, 18th overall pick, of the 2025 NFL Draft. This one was one of the last steps for the Seahawks to create one of the most productive offenses in the NFL.
Zabel wasn’t perfect in his rookie season, but he was good enough to validate the decision to draft him in the first round, and he showed improvement. Zabel is already a favorite among some Seahawks fans and some media outlets as they love his determination and spirit. It was a big jump from the FCS collegiate level to the NFL and this season, he has a chance to show why he might be a top-half-of-the-league guard.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Higher?
The Seahawks wanted a determined workhorse when looking for a guard. That’s exactly what they got in Zabel. Last season, he appeared in 1,051 snaps, which is only 10 fewer snaps than right tackle Abraham Lucas, who had the most offensive snaps. Zabel got better as the season progressed. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 81.5 and a run-block grade of 81.2 in Week 14 through the NFC Championship Game.
There were times last season when he looked like a monster against several defenders. He was pushing some defenders completely out of the way on pulling plays and even ran to defenders after the pass-catcher caught the ball. This is the mentality the Seahawks expect him to have going into his second season in the league. He has more experience and the complete trust of the team to be a franchise player on par with Lucas and left tackle Charles Cross. If he continues to improve, he will be another steal for the Seahawks.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Lower?
There were times last season when he didn’t quite catch up to the learning curve of the NFL. Zabel allowed two sacks, four hits and 24 pressures in 2025. The Seahawks expect those numbers to decrease significantly as he is experienced and capable of playing at an efficient level. While Zabel is impressive, he might not be the best player the Seahawks have selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. That honor belongs to slot cornerback Nick Emmanwori, who is stepping up to be the steal of the draft.
Zabel is easily one of the best second-year players and is one of the top offensive linemen, but there are players behind him because they haven’t proven to be consistently explosive for the Seahawks. There is going to be even more pressure on him this upcoming season. The Seahawks hired a more run-friendly coach in Brian Fleury as offensive coordinator. His ranking at the end of the season might be much better if he improves, or worse if he fails to reach expectations.
— Enjoy free coverage of the Super Bowl champions from Seattle Seahawks On SI —
Sign Up For the Seahawks Daily Digest – OnSI’s Free Seattle Seahawks Newsletter
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
-
North Carolina3 minutes agoNorth Carolina’s Charming Raleigh Suburb Is A Fast-Growing Town With River Views And A Historic Downtown – Islands
-
North Dakota10 minutes ago‘I think I was cheated’: Men speak out after birth switch discovery
-
Ohio16 minutes ago
Ohio Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 Midday winning numbers for July 15, 2026
-
Oklahoma21 minutes agoFailed report, recorded calls offer look inside Oklahoma County Jail
-
Oregon28 minutes ago
Oregon Lottery Powerball, Pick 4 results for July 15
-
Pennsylvania34 minutes agoFifth Time’s The Harm: Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro Again Signed A Budget With No Money For Transit — Streetsblog USA
-
Rhode Island40 minutes agoJamestown Swarm Chaser has unique talent for catching, moving bees
-
South-Carolina46 minutes agoSouth Carolina Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for July 15, 2026
