The Seattle Mariners Get a Win: Teams Told to Plan for 162 Games

MLB Commissioner Tells Teams to plan for 162 games, a big win for the Seattle Mariners

Every baseball fan has been wondering when the MLB season would start, and how many games would be played this year. Finally, we have some encouraging news, but nothing is final yet. Rob Manfred told teams Monday that they should prepare for spring training to start on time and prepare for a 162-game season.

This is particularly important for the Mariners because the young team needs more reps. It is as simple as that.

For some teams, having a full 162-game season isn’t as important. But, when you are the Seattle Mariners with a young team that is trying to develop into contenders, every game matters.

Furthermore, 2020 took a major toll on the development of many prospects because the minor league season was canceled.

As far as our current team, the 2021 projected Seattle Mariners lineup has only 2,405 games of experience. More than half of those games have been played by one player: Kyle Seager.

Mitch Haniger has the second-most games in the projected Mariners lineup with 350 MLB games.

The lack of gameplay tells you how young the team is, which is good and bad. But, players like Jake Fraley, Logan Gilbert, Jarred Kelenic, and Taylor Trammell are probably the happiest about the news.

Jake Fraley is the 9th ranked Mariners prospect and has played in just 19 MLB games. The 25-year-old is in major need of playtime to prove himself in the crowded Mariners outfield.

Jarred Kelenic, one of the favorites to win American League Rookie of the Year is probably dying to play in 2021. He might not be on the opening day roster, but it won’t take long for him to join the team. The 162-game season would allow him to relax and slowly work his way up to the majors, rather than feeling rushed to join during a shortened season.

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Logan Gilbert would also benefit from a full season especially because the Seattle Mariners are going to use a 6-man starting rotation. Obviously, the point of a 6-man rotation is to limit the pitchers, but in a shortened season it seems like a major reduction.

Last season, Marco Gonzales started just 11 games. Normally he would be pitching three times the amount with a 5-man rotation. Gilbert needs as many MLB reps as possible and a full-season is crucial.

There are certainly many other Mariners prospects and current starters who need more big-league experience. The Seattle Mariners are at a crucial point right now and the development needs to continue.

The team looks to be on track because Kyle Lewis won ROY, Evan White, and J.P. Crawford won Gold Gloves, but they certainly need more support from the rest. The MLB season/plan is not finalized yet, but it is promising to hear that teams were told to prepare for a full season.