The Farther They Go, The Fresher The Mariners Bullpen Arms Become

Isn’t it wonderful that the “bullpen day” spot in the rotation has become a thing of the past? Since the Tyler Anderson trade, the Mariners have fully transitioned to a 5 man rotation. The members of that 5 man rotation (Kikuchi, Anderson, Gonzales, Gilbert, and Flexen) have had recent success eating up innings since the trade deadline.

With this success, it has allowed the bullpen arms to receive some well-deserved rest. Going from full bullpen days to days where the bullpen hasn’t been used at all (well done Marco) has been enjoyable to see as a fan.

So, what has happened to cause the bullpen arms to stay fresh?

Starting pitchers have gone 5 or more innings since July 28th.

Since Yusei Kikuchi’s on July 28th, Mariners starting pitchers have gone at least 5 innings in each outing. While the length of the starts has not guaranteed victories, it has provided the bullpen with more opportunity for rest. FanGraphs has a great chart that shows innings pitched and how many pitches were thrown by each pitcher. In this article, we will take a look at each starting pitcher and how they have eased the burden on the bullpen each time they take the mound.