Mariners Positional Preview: The Rotation

Yikes. A lot can be said about the Mariners starting rotation. Not much was done in the offseason to a rotation that churned so many pitchers in 2017. With both familiar faces and some new comers, the Mariners rotation looks to fair far better in 2018.

1. Felix Hernandez

The King is making his 10th consecutive Opening Day start and 3rd at Safeco Field. Felix, in my opinion is 100% deserving and the right choice to start the first game of the season. Paxton is great but Felix has been here through it all. Felix knows himself better than anyone else and he thinks that he’s got it right this year. He said that he feels good and I’m not going to be the one to get against him.

Sure, Felix has had a rough few years but he’s only 31 years old and he still has a lot left in the tank. The number one thing will be to keep Felix healthy. Yikes. The King needs to stay healthy for the Mariners to make the playoffs. He is the biggest cog in this big Mariners machine. His season will go along way in deciding the fate of the 2018 Mariners.

2. James Paxton

James Paxton was one of the best pitchers in baseball in 2017 before injuries derailed his season. Again. Pax has received high praise from coaches this winter, some even saying that he is an elite ace. And he very well could be. The big lefty has every reason to be optimistic about his 2018 season and so do we. He will start game two of the season. If he can stay healthy, we can see a big year for the Big Maple.

3. Mike Leake 

Leake has been an incredibly underrated player throughout his career. That doesn’t change in 2018. Leake is a durable pitcher who is going to make his 30+ starts. He will take his knocks but he will also keep the M’s in games. He made a strong impression with the M’s in 2017 and seems like he will be a solid part of the M’s rotation in 2018. The Mariners have made deals for players similar to Leake before, at least in the durability department. We all remember the Wade Miley deal.  Dare I even bring up Yovani Gallardo? Seattle looks to right the ship with Mike Leake.

4. Marco Gonzales

Marco may be the Mariners most interesting pitcher. He had an amazing Spring even after getting hit in the wrist during a start. It will be his second year back after Tommy John and his cutter has finally come back to form. That pitch is what made him so effective and what made the Cardinals decide to give him the ball in the World Series. He, like Leake, was acquired last year. Due to those acquisitions, the M’s felt they didn’t need to make any moves during the Offseason.

5. Erasmo Ramirez 

The return of cousin Erasmo. He too was acquired in late July of last year and looked good after being put back into a starting role. However, Ramirez is going to start the year on the DL due to a lat strain he sustained earlier this spring. Since the M’s have so many off days to begin the year, it isn’t vital to have Erasmo on the roster so he will be given ample time to get ready. If Erasmo isn’t ready in time, the Mariners have a few extra options.

Depth

One thing Jerry Dipoto made sure the M’s had this year is depth. Rob Whalen had an amazing Spring and may beat Erasmo out for the 5th starter spot. Ariel Miranda will also return after being one of the only starters to remain healthy last year. Max Povse has returned to a starter role.

Yikes? Maybe. Time will tell. It’s hard to predict what will happen with this staff after watching their performance in 2017. If healthy, I think that the M’s could actually have a decent staff 1-4. Pitching is the name of the game these days and a strong bullpen will hopefully complement this shaky rotation nicely.

Next: Previewing the 2018 Mariners Outfield

But that is a wait and see type thing. For now, let’s just enjoy it. Baseball is  back. Happy Opening Weekend.