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The 3 Keys to a Successful Seattle Mariners April

By Asher Young |
Apr 2, 2017; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Opening Day bases lay on the field prior to the game between the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 2, 2017; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Opening Day bases lay on the field prior to the game between the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
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Finally. About Darn Time. The wait is OVER! Baseball is back and it’s here to stay. Spring Training was fun and all, but it gets old quite fast. Eventually, everyone gets tired of the projections, and the meaningless games. Meaning is what people search for in life, and those who are lucky enough to see the light, and find that meaning in baseball, are about to be rewarded.

However, baseball is fun and all, but it’s about time we see the Seattle Mariners win and contend for a playoff spot. And when I say contend, I mean to actually make the playoffs.

In order for the Mariners to do that, they need to have a successful April, as a successful April will set them up for the success in the rest of the year.

Momentum is key, and the Mariners too often have a bad first half of the season, only to try to push and make a run in the second half, but come up just short. It’s time to change that tradition, and jump out to a hot start, and stick with it.

So what should we be looking for this April? Well, let me break it down for you. If these three things can be accomplished, the Mariners will be in good shape moving forward.

Mar 23, 2017; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez reacts against the San Francisco Giants during a Cactus League spring training game at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 23, 2017; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez reacts against the San Francisco Giants during a Cactus League spring training game at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Felix Hernandez

Felix Hernandez for over a decade has been the pillar of the Mariners rotation. However, many Mariner fans still have a hard time fathoming that the peak of King Felix may have already happened and that he may be in the downswing of his career.

It’s a hard reality to accept considering the dominance that he showed year after year after year.

Last year, Felix had his worst year in over a decade. From 2007-2015 his lowest WAR he posted was 3.4 in 2011, and there were only two other years he posted below a WAR of 4. However, last year his WAR was 1.6.

The Mariners literally missed the playoffs by three games. If Felix Hernandez would have just lived up to his average, the Mariners playoff drought could have ended.

In order for the Mariners to jump out of the gate fast, they need a healthy Felix to lead them. He’s not only the best pitcher they have, but he’s their longest tenured player and has become a leader in the clubhouse.

A healthy and happy Felix leads to a happy and thriving team. It’s worth it to note that in the 7 weeks that Felix was on the DL last year, the Mariners were 18-26 without him. The rest of the season they were 68-50 when he was healthy.

Is it fair to attribute the poor play solely to the fact that Felix was injured? Not completely, but I think it is fair to say it was a factor, and keeping Felix healthy and happy would go a long way to making a strong start to the season.

Mar 22, 2017; Peoria, AZ, USA; Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Nick Vincent (50) pitches during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Peoria Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 22, 2017; Peoria, AZ, USA; Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Nick Vincent (50) pitches during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Peoria Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /

2. The Bullpen

I’m waiting for the next big baseball movie to come out, and I think it will be called The Sandlot 4- Edwin Diaz and the others. 

To be honest, I am somewhat pessimistic about the Mariners bullpen. Apart from Marc Rzepczynski, every single reliever is either young and inexperienced or looking to revive a career that has not gone too well. Obviously, the exception is Edwin Diaz, who is a budding star.

But then again, a year ago, no one knew who Edwin Diaz was. He was just as much of a no-name as Dan Altavilla, James Pazos, or Dillion Overton. Because all of them are hard-throwing and have potential, so perhaps we will see Edwin Diaz 2.0.

However, the Mariners don’t have time for a learning curve despite how many young arms they have. That’s the real concern.

All of those young arms will very likely have promising careers, but the Mariners have one of the oldest cores in baseball. The M’s aren’t the Padres or the Braves, and they don’t have time to develop young arms and have them peak in 4-5 years.

The M’s need to win now, which means their relievers need to mature quicker than they normally would have to. If this is possible remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure if they do mature early and fast, the M’s will be in great shape.

Mar 10, 2017; Peoria, AZ, USA; Seattle Mariners center fielder Jarrod Dyson (1) swings at a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Peoria Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 10, 2017; Peoria, AZ, USA; Seattle Mariners center fielder Jarrod Dyson (1) swings at a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Peoria Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /

3. The Outfield

The Mariners outfield could be a deadly force this year. A mixture of power and speed. The Mariners outfield could be a complete disaster this year. A mixture of blown potential, and injuries.

Only one of the Mariners projected outfielders has played a full season in the Majors, and that’s Leonys Martin.

That’s the same Leonys Martin who saw his season get off to an absolutely fantastic start last year, before getting injured and getting rushed back. After the injury, Martin was never quite the same.

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So which Leonys will we see in April? The one who has power and speed, and will be a tremendous source of runs for the Mariners? Or the Leonys Martin of after the injury?

However, really the two biggest question marks are Mitch Haniger and Jarrod Dyson. Dyson has never reached 300 at-bats in one season.

He’s always been a part-time player. If he can be as effective as a full-time player as he was a part-time player, he will be a tremendous source of value for the Mariners.

When Mitch Haniger was acquired, he quickly became everyone’s favorite Mariner. He solidified that with an incredible Spring Training. But turning a spectacular spring into a solid season isn’t as easy as it may sound.

Will Haniger live up to his hype? Will the Mariners outfield be a force to contend with or a never ending cycle of players trying to fill in?

Next: Series Preview: Mariners Vs. Astros April 3rd-6th

If the outfield can just post consistent numbers, and stay healthy in April, it will be another piece of the puzzle to making an early run and starting out hot.

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