Seattle Mariners Spring Training 2022 is finally here

I don’t know about you, but every day is starting to feel more and more like baseball season. It’s so close, and a little taste of it is finally here as the Mariners are set to play their first Spring Training game.

I’ll talk about the game a little bit, but I really want to talk about some of the things that I am excited about this Spring with the Mariners. The team is arguably in the best spot it’s been in nearly 20 years, and things are only looking up.

Spring Training 2022 is finally here for the Mariners, and it’s incredibly exciting

Think about where the Mariners sit. Although they are still searching/deciding on their 5th pitcher for this season, the top 4 are a great combination. Ray/Marco/Flex/Gilbert should make fans happy, and it’s the best group that the team has had in a while. The bullpen is pretty solid too. Whoever the team adds to pitch is either going to be a 5th starter who moves to the pen when a prospect comes up or a solid guy that jumps to the #2 spot.

Speaking further on those prospects, you’ve got Brash or Kirby fighting for that starting spot, and both have done nothing but impress over the last season. That includes camp so far this year. We all know that Brash is nasty, and Kirby seems to have held his velocity and added polish to his repertoire. Don’t forget about Stoudt, Campbell, Phillips, Miller, and Hancock. They’re all MLB SP caliber arms, and could lead to some fun conversation down the line.

(My pick is Stoudt or Miller. Dudes are monsters and awesome people)

It’s not just the prospects on the mound that we need to watch for though. There are two guys in the field that you may have heard of. One is named Noevli, and the other is Julio. You may have heard the latter’s name like this though.

JJUUUUUUUUUUUUULLLLLLLLLIIIIIIOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

Julio continues to kick down every door, bust through every wall, and demolish every challenge that is put in front of him. What impresses me most is that his run tool continues to go up. Now, instead of an average corner defender, we are looking at a guy who is showing every indication of being an above-average Center fielder in the majors. He’s both learning how to run efficiently and getting faster. Everytime you see him, he’s gotten better at something.

Then there is Marte. He just keeps growing. Supposedly he is up to like 6’3″ and 210 lbs. Don’t forget that he just turned 20 also, so he might not be done growing. If anything, his size is going to move him off the position instead of the ability, and we could be looking at a power/speed third baseman of the future for the Mariners.

I spent a bit of time talking about both of those guys because Servais mentioned that we will be seeing both of them ALOT during the 18 Spring Training games.

Oh! The Mariners are actually pretty good too. It’s not just their prospects that we should be watching. Adam Frazier is here, and there is about the least amount of fanfare as there could be for a guy who just hit over .300 last season. He is sort of forgotten about since he was acquired before the labor stoppage.

Adding to that are Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez. Winker straight mashes, and a healthy Eugenio Suarez could be a big-time steal for the Mariners. It makes for a ton of guys to watch in Spring Training. Stay tuned all Spring as we break down the games, more players to watch, and positional battles that pop up. Go Mariners!