Mariners Analysis: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not

Jun 10, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Taijuan Walker (32) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Stock Up: Taijuan Walker

Something has clicked for Taijuan Walker in the past three starts, and thank God it has. In his last two outings he has gone 14 innings, allowing just four earned runs (2.57 ERA) while striking out 13. The 22-year-old right-hander has found his fastball location, and when he does that he is as good as advertised. He took some heat early in the year, including from me, but Prince Tai has responded in the month of June.

Tai leans heavily on his 95 mph heater, and the opposition knows it. So far this year he is throwing the fastball 67.7% of the time, with his second most used pitch being the changeup at 18.2%. As we have seen both with his recent run, and his terribly stint at the beginning of the year, his lively fastball can be a double-edged sword. When Walker is locating it and changing eye levels, he is as tough as anyone to beat. But when he leaves it over the heart of the plate, any major league ballplayer will be able to do some damage with it.

So with Taijuan Walker, if you want to gage of how his start is going to go, just watch that fastball. If Mike Zunino or Jesus Sucre is having to move the mitt a ton, he’s in trouble. If the Mariners backstop doesn’t have to work much, he’ll be well on his way to turning in another gem. And thankfully, he’s been hitting the mitt a lot recently.

Next: Mike Zunino