5 Bold Predictions for 2017 Seattle Mariners

. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

James Paxton Becomes The Ace In The Rotation

A tip of the cap to Sodo Mojo Contributor, Riley Baker on this one. He predicts Paxton wins 15 games, throwing over 200 innings with 180 strikeouts. But hey, these are bold predictions, so let’s spice it up even more.

James Paxton will anchor the 2017 Mariners, finishing with a 2.87 ERA, 215 IP, and 200 strikeouts. The big Canadian has that type of stuff, and if he stays healthy in 2017, these are entirely obtainable goals.

Jarrod Dyson Steals 50 Bases

There is no doubt that Dyson has the speed to snag 50 bags for the Mariners. This prediction is more about Dyson’s ability to get regular plate appearances than it is a question of his base running abilities.

He had a .340 OBP in 2016, a career high. He will need to repeat that feat in order to get the plate appearances necessary to hit the magic number. In his career, Dyson has 1539 PA and 176 steals. That averages out to a stolen base every 8.7 PA. If that trend continues, Dyson will need 437 PA to reach 50 SB.

Realistically, the bold prediction here is that Dyson hits well enough to gets 450 PA. But that’s not the sexiest headline, so work with me here.