The Wait Is Over: Seattle Mariners Spring Baseball Is Back

It has been 146 days since the Mariners last played an organized competitive game. Yet, while this may not be opening day -when games really begin to count- the spring games carry a lot of weight for players working their way up their M’s minor league ranks as well as create a pecking order at the major league level.

Scott Servais should be excited to get this Mariners roster out on the field. In four months, his GM, Jerry Dipoto, has transformed the M’s from pretenders to legitimate contenders.

Many of the top stars won’t be at spring camp for long as they head off to play for their respective countries in the World Baseball Classic, but that will give the non-invitees more of a platform to shine. Particularly the non-roster invitees who will want to make a statement that they should be on the team’s 25-man roster in 2017.

However, while Servais does have all of his players still in Peoria, Arizona for spring ball, he plans to use his “Day One” lineup which would look like this:

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1. Jarrod Dyson in left field, 2. Jean Segura, at shortstop, 3. Robinson Cano, at second base, 4. Nelson Cruz, in the designated hitter spot,5. Kyle Seager, at third base, 6. Mitch Haniger, in right field, 7. Dan Vogelbach, at first base 8. Mike Zunino, at catcher, and finally, 9. Leonys Martin, center field.

The Mariners will also have their starting rotation intact for the first week or so of spring camp, but a few days before the WBC begins on March 6th, the M’s will lose Felix Hernandez and Yovani Gallardo.

That will leave room for wannabe starters Robert Whalen, Chris Heston, Dylan Unsworth, Andrew Moore, and the opening day spring camp starter, Ariel Miranda with more options to showcase their ability.

Next: Five Bold Predictions For The 2017 Mariners

Whatever ends up happening in spring ball, whoever ends up shining or falling by the wayside, we do know that baseball is back. Today will be the beginning of a year that could go down in history as the best the Mariners have ever had in their 40-year history.