Chris Flexen is giving young Mariners pitchers competition

When Seattle Mariners fans found out about the signing of Chris Flexen, many including myself reacted with confusion. Who’s this guy we signed from the KBO? Why didn’t we go for a more prominent starting pitcher? Can he perform in the major leagues?

These were many of the questions that popped up in my mind and Flexen has exceeded expectations. The 27-year-old starting pitcher has a 7-3 record with a 3.80 ERA and has provided the rotation with stability amongst all of the injuries. How does his current form affect the Seattle Mariners, especially in terms of the long-term perspective?

Chris Flexen has exceeded expectations which creates some competition on the young Seattle Mariners pitching prospects for the next couple of years

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As you are probably well aware, the Seattle Mariners will have a large group of pitching prospects arriving within the 2022-2023 time frame. Do names like George Kirby, Emerson Hancock, and Brandon Williamson ring a bell?

And those aren’t the only pitching prospects that the organization has in the pipeline. The Mariners also have Juan Then, Connor Phillips, Isaiah Campbell, Levi Stoudt, and Adam Macko. Assuming that all of these highly touted pitching prospects become stars, the Mariners will have an overload of talent.

But, we can’t forget about our current pitchers like Chris Flexen. Although Flexen seems like a well-traveled veteran, he is still just 27-years-old. The general consensus is that players peak between 29-31 especially for pitchers, so Flexen might continue to improve.

I wouldn’t say Chris Flexen has pitched like an MVP or Cy Young worthy pitcher for the Seattle Mariners, but he’s been better than most expected. He has a 4.14 xERA, a .318 xwOBA, and an impressive 4.9% walk rate, 93rd percentile. His chase rate is also at 31.2%, 82nd percentile, and a curveball spin rate that ranks in the 75th percentile.

I am not suggesting that Chris Flexen would force Jerry Dipoto to trade away one of the top pitching prospects to keep Flexen in the rotation. But he could be a solid veteran at the back of the rotation.

I highly doubt the Seattle Mariners will roll out a starting rotation full of pitchers who have just 1-2 years of experience so Flexen might be a short-term, stable, pitcher while the young guys get a few more innings under their belt.

I also think Chris Flexen’s performances this year are particularly important for the Mariners because some of the other starting pitchers have not met expectations. Justus Sheffield has struggled badly after a really nice season in 2020. Marco Gonzales just can’t seem to locate his pitches as he has shown in past years. And lastly, Justin Dunn has been a mixed bag and is currently on the IL.

So, Jerry Dipoto has some tough decisions to make with its current starting pitchers and Chris Flexen might be the guy he ends up leaning on for a veteran presence.

Just based on what we have talked about and the current performances RIGHT NOW, we might see a rotation like this for the next couple of years:

1. Logan Gilbert
2. Yusei Kikuchi
3. George Kirby
4. Emerson Hancock
5. Chris Flexen

I don’t know about you, but that’s solid. And eventually, that could grow into something like this:

1. Logan Gilbert
2. Yusei Kikuchi
3. George Kirby
4. Emerson Hancock
5. Brandon Williamson

Or… Would Jerry Dipoto flip Flexen for a prospect? Probably not, but you never know.