3 Seattle Mariners to Add to Your Fantasy Baseball Team

We are less than 10% through the regular season, but the Mariners are already helping fantasy baseball teams everywhere. Today, we look at three players to acquire that will help your team all year.

The Mariners have been an absolute boon to fantasy players early in 2019. But oddly enough, it hasn’t really been the “big names” who have carried this banner. For example, Mitch Haniger was easily the highest drafted Mariner this year and has been more or less a disappointment for fantasy thus far.

Instead, the role players have shined for Seattle, which makes for an interesting game of “Buy or Sell”. Today, we look at 3 Mariners who’s stock you should buy to help win your fantasy baseball season.

Anthony Swarzak

This comes with the obvious disclaimer that there is a risk in this move. If you are in need of saves, Anthony Swarzak will more than likely get a majority of save opportunities over the next few months.

The addition of Swarzak is dependent on your strategy as well. Typically, I choose not to chase saves, instead focusing on relievers with good ratios who may eventually get a chance. But if you are a fan of budget bullpens and are tired of throwing saves, Swarzak is a cheap option who does carry some upside.

Last year wasn’t pretty for Swarzak as he battled through injury. However, he still posted a 10.6 K/9 ratio, the third straight year he has broken the one strikeout per inning average. In addition, one of the best paths to value is taking a good skill set coming off a bad year, particularly if an injury was the root cause of struggles.

In his 2 outings this year, Swarzak has sat in the mid-90’s and the slider has shown real bite and movement. Aside from last year, Swarzak is a strike thrower, posting a solid 2.5 BB/9 rate. Swarzak may not be “the guy” for long. But for a short-term saves fix, he is one of the better options.

Ryon Healy

So this should seem to be Daniel Vogelbach‘s spot on the list. He has certainly earned playing time, but there are a few issues with Vogelbach. First, he may be DH only in your league, making him a straight utility option. The second is whether or not the Mariners will actually give him the PAs necessary to help you in the short-term.

If you play in a deeper league, Vogelbach is a fine addition. But I wouldn’t drop a proven player for him just yet. On the other hand, Ryon Healy has first and third base eligibility, a wide open path to playing time, and all the power needed to provide value in a standard 5×5 league.

Healy is off to a good start, slashing .271/.321/.604 with 7 doubles and 3 home runs. The home runs will come and Healy is showing more advanced skills at the plate after a pretty meh 2018. If Healy can maintain his on-base skill throughout the year, he will be a solid source of cheap power and one that offers a little versatility.

If you have been dealing with an injury or are just looking to stream a hot streak, Healy is a cheap and available option to consider.

Mallex Smith

So you are going to need to trade for Mallex Smith. But early returns show that Smith’s 2018 was totally legitimate. The Mariners have eased Smith into the season, already giving him 4 of the 12 games off. But despite missing all of Spring Training, Smith has still managed a .250/.359/.406 slash line.

He is hitting at the top of this mighty Mariners lineup, giving him the opportunity to score a ton of runs. In his 8 games, he has stolen 4 bases and has yet to have been caught. He is on pace for 40 steals and the average should come up as he gets the ABs he wasn’t afforded in Spring Training.

The low-average and lack of power should make Smith reasonably priced. Steals are hard to find in fantasy baseball unless you want to spend big resources at the top of the draft. Runs and steals still play in fantasy and making this early trade could set you up nicely down the stretch.

If these Mariners simply aren’t available in your league, you do have a few other options. Buying low on Mitch Haniger is a real opportunity, so don’t be afraid to ask the owner. Brandon Brennan has looked fantastic and could be a dark horse for saves this year. If you play in a league with designated relief spots or a deeper league, he is worth a stash.

Tim Beckham may be a sell high. Although there is a reason to believe he can be much better than he was in 2018, he isn’t going to be an MVP candidate at the end of the year. If you can trade Dee Gordon, it might be worth exploring, but if you just want steals and average, he could be okay.

Overall, fantasy baseball is supposed to be fun. If you want to load up your roster with as many Mariners as possible, go for it. The Mariners have been surprisingly good thus far, and a lot of what we are seeing could be sustainable.

Remember, have fun and play the game however you like. Winning is great, but sometimes going down your own way in something as trivial as fantasy sports is part of the game.