The Mariners New Lineup Eerily Similar To That Of Golden State

With all of the changes Jerry Dipoto has made on the offensive side, the Seattle Mariners and Golden State Warriors actually have a lot in common.

I know, I get it. This seems like some crazy article that’s going to make no sense with a headline designed to reel you in. I promise you this is not the case.

I don’t know if this was Dipoto’s plan all along, or if the correlation will mean much in the baseball world. One thing I do know, the similarities between the two are almost uncanny.

Mike Zunino / Andre Iguodala:

Probably my favorite one right out of the gate.

Think about it for a second. Zunino is great on the defensive end but struggles nightly on the offense. Although he struggles making contact, he has his hot streaks where his power is almost unrivaled.

Andre Iguodala is the Warrior’s, Mike Zunino. He has a limited offensive game, but he is the Warrior’s defensive specialist. In fact, he plays such good defense that he earned Finals MVP for it in 2015.

Dan Voglebach / Javale McGee

Another good one. You’re soon going to find that I don’t have to reach for any of these. They seriously come together on their own.

Let’s cut to the chase, Voglebach is a large human being. Not only is he large but the offensive potential he has is undeniable. So undeniable in fact, that it does a good job masking his shortcomings on the defensive end.

Fellow large human, McGee, has the exact career storyline. His offensive prowess is incredible. The man is the epitome of a physical freak and can score in the paint at will. On the defensive end, though, he is a bit of a liability.

Robinson Cano / Kevin Durant

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. “Superstar leaves the team in the peak of his career, travels across the country and signs mega contract hoping to win a title”. The teams they both joined may have had different circumstances at the time but it’s another uncanny resemblance. Both players left, joined up with their new squads and instantly stepped into leadership roles. Not only that, they’ve both performed at high levels since making the switch.

Jean Segura / Draymond Green

I’m just having fun at this point. It being true makes it even more enjoyable for me.

Mariners fans may not be all too familiar with Segura. Trust me when I tell you there are few players in baseball with a skill set like his. What he proved last season was he has a rare combination of speed (33 SB), power (20 HR) and defense (.986 Fielding %).

Green is Segura’s long lost basketball playing clone. He is a rare combination of rebounding (8.2), passing (7.3 assists) and defense (2.1 steals, 1.5 blocks). There may not even be a handful of players in the league that can do what he does.

Kyle Seager / Klay Thompson

Reliable. Clutch. Amazing defense and both drop bombs.

One thing you can count on with these two is the fact that they know how to come up big when the team needs it most. Wether Seager is hitting a game-tying grand slam in extra innings, or Klay is hitting a game winner at the buzzer they both know how to keep their composure.

Also, as I mentioned before, they know how to drop bombs. Wether its Seager hitting HRs or Lost from beyond the arc, both are in the upper echelon at their position in the bomb dropping category.

Nelson Cruz / Steph Curry

Their similarity is simple. Nobody in their right mind should be able to do what they do.

At 36 years old, Cruz should not still be hitting 40+ home runs on a consistent basis. I don’t know wether he is drinking from the fountain of youth, or he is secretly only 28, but that shouldn’t be happening (I’m really glad it is tho, keep it up, Nelly).

With Curry, it’s that quick release. Nobody in their right mind should be able to shoot that fast. He’s like the Speedy Gonzalez of basketball shots. Not only is it quick, but it’s effective as well. Last season he shattered the NBA record for most made 3-pointers in a season with 402.

Mitch Haniger / ZaZa Pachulia

This one is pretty cut and dry. Both men are powerful and do what is asked of them in order to win. They may not put up the most impressive stats but, in turn, are fan favorites.

Haniger may not be a fan favorite right at this exact moment, but I promise you he will be by

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years end. You watch.

Leonys Martín / Shaun Livingston

These two actually have a few similarities. Both are freakishly athletic. Martin with his combo of speed and power and Livingston with his size and ball handling. Not only that, they are both known for their great defense. Livingston is a bit of a defensive specialist off of the bench and if you’ve ever witnessed Martin in action, he’s quite the magician in Centerfield. They are fairly quick as well. Livingston has an impressive burst of speed for a man that’s 6’7″ and Martin ended last season with 24 stolen bases.

Jarrod Dyson / Ian Clark

One word: Speed

Jarrod Dyson may be the fastest man in baseball. Ian Clark may be the fastest man on the court when he’s in the game. They both are great two-way players as well. They play solid defense and do what’s necessary on the offensive end to help their team win. Whether that’s laying down a sac bunt to advance the runner or crossing up Noah Vonleh and hitting the easy jumper.

Danny Valencia / David West

Last but not least, these fellas.

Danny Valencia is a savvy veteran that really does nothing wrong. He limits his errors, has great plate vision and is always there when you need him.

West is the same. Craft veteran doing what it takes to help his team win. Doesn’t make many mental errors and knows when to come up big.

The main thing that ties them together is the fact that they are really good at one specific thing.

For Valencia, that one thing is hitting lefties. He batted .321 against lefties last season.

For David west, that one thing is getting buckets. The guy is a scoring machine. For his career, he averages 14.2 ppg for his career on 49% shooting.

Now that I’ve laid it all out, it’s pretty clear I’m not 100% crazy. Maybe 90%, but you have to admit that when you really think about it, it actually does matchup pretty well.

Next: Mariners Rotation Hoping To Be The Best

I hope the Mariners are able to find even half the same success as the Golden State Warriors. With the 16 season playoff drought in full effect, it’d be nice to see the Mariners ride this new lineup back to the promise land.

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