Mariners Highlights from the first weekend of Spring Training 2022

The Mariners got underway with their first Spring Training game on Friday, March 18th. They played two more over the weekend, and we’ve had a chance to check out a lot of players on the team, both on the 40-man as well as some of the lower prospects and Spring Training Invitees.

Sure, we could talk about the things that didn’t go great, the guys that struggled, and some changes or results that we wish we could’ve seen. Instead, we are gonna save that for later once they have a little more under the belt, and stick to the positive.

Here are some of the things that stood out from the Mariners first three games of Spring Training 2022.

Marco Looked Sharp

Marco went three innings in the first game of Spring, already looking like he was in midseason form. 3 IP, 1 K, an unearned run, and just two hits. The changeup was on point, and he had hitters guessing all game. A healthy Marco would be a massive boon to this team, and he started as well as anyone could’ve hoped.

Mariners Wunderkind: Julio demolishes a ball

Julio got his first AB of the Spring in the opening game against the Padres. After falling behind 0-2, Julio treated this ball like Bobby Wagner would treat an unaware running back trying to catch a ball late in the flat.

He absolutely demolished it. Just listen to the noise that it makes.

How Sweet it is

We talk a lot about the Mariners pitching prospects, and rightfully so. However, there is one more guy that people NEED to be aware of. Devin Sweet. He’s got one of the best changeups of anyone in the minor leagues. At 25, if he can keep the fastball in the low 90s with the same arm slot on both pitches, he’s one of the first candidates to show up in the Mariners bullpen, as it’s an MLB ready swing-and-miss change.

Raleigh Rips 2B down the line

The Big Dumper (his nickname) is one of the young Mariners who a lot of fans instantly started calling out last year. For some reason, fans seemed to think that a rookie catcher should instantly dominate. He had his struggles last year, but with that experience under his belt, we should see Cal Raleigh come out and play well on a much more consistent basis. Like he did when he ripped a ball down the line for a double against the Dodgers.

Souza Grand Salami

I’ve long been a fan of Steven Souza Jr, ever since he got to the Rays. The M’s signed him to a minor-league deal with an invite to play this Spring. It didn’t take long for Souza to take advantage of the opportunity given him, as he busted out the rye bread and mustard. That’s right… it was grand salami time.

New Mariners OF Winker with a 2-RBI double

There are going to be a lot more Mariners fans this year, if only for the reason that a lot of people from Cincinnati are secretly going to be watching M’s games while rooting for Eugenio Suarez and Jesse Winker. It took Winker a couple of days to get going, but he smoked a ball into center for his first hit of the season, short-hopping the wall for a 2-RBI double.

It was a fun opening weekend of games for the M’s, and we got to see an awesome mix of MLB guys and prospects. Spring Training is shorter than normal this year, but there are still plenty of opportunities for players to impress over the next few weeks. Go Mariners!