Three Bold Mariners Predictions for the Month of May

Mariners Bold Prediction #1 for May: Mariners go 18-10

The Mariners went 11-10 in the month of April. They’ve already got one win under their belt as they finished off the Marlins series with a win and avoided a sweep. They’re going to lose just as often in May as they did in April, but with 7 more games to play, their record is going to look a lot better.

There were some funky things at the beginning of the season, mostly the cold and wet from the confoundingly open stadiums in Minnesota and Chicago. The Mariners dominated their homestand, and then struggled in Florida.

The Mariners have a darn good starting rotation, especially when the defenders actually show up behind Marco Gonzales. Flexen has been solid, Gilbert is incredible, and Ray is a frontline SP. If Brash can find the zone a bit more, it’s going to be a really good year.

They’ve got some tough series this month. Starting off in Houston, four with the Rays, A road trip of the Mets, Blue Jays, and Red Sox. WHO CARES! Mariners are having a good month, and are going 18-10.

Mariners Bold Prediction #2 for May: Jesse Winker goes on a tear

This is the one that I really want to see happen. Jesse Winker destroyed right-handed pitching last year. No, it’s not an exaggeration. In 367 PA, he had a slash line of .346/.428/.642 with 21 HR. So far in 2022, his slash line is .196/.340/.237.

Something is going to change, and I think it’s going to be loud and fast. Winker has yet to hit a HR for the Mariners, which I don’t think any but the most pessimistic of fans would have predicted. (if you guessed it, you don’t know baseball, you’re just a whiny brat)

Winker is going to have a nasty May. 7 HR, a .365 BA against RHP, and he is going to make fans all of Washington let out massive sighs of relief as they remember just how good he is, and assuage all worries about the Mariners losing the trade with the Reds from earlier this offseason.

Also, I think the rotation in the outfield keeps him healthier, which helps translate into big numbers. He’s been walking a ton, so we know that he is seeing the ball well. There were some real loud outs earlier this season. It starts in Houston, where he goes yard not once, but twice against the chea… Astros.

Mariners Bold Prediction #3 for May: Jarred Kelenic gets good

Okay, this might be the boldest one I’ve made so far this year. Jarred Kelenic has really been struggling so far this year, and has not been able to do much good at all at home plate. His defense has actually been a lot better than it was last year (and honestly, could it be much worse?), so that has made it a bit more palatable to have him in the lineup.

Through 21 games, he is actually a 0.5 dWAR player, which is pretty darn good. On offense, he has only been hitting .141/.211/.297 with a .206 BABIP and a K rate of 40.9%.

He’s trying to hard, and it’s easy to see. It was the same thing that plagued him last year.

You know what though? With the weather heating up, and the rest of the Mariners bats picking up, things are going to come easier to Kelenic. There is hardly going to be any pressure on him, as there won’t be a need for his bat for a while. Having a lineup that can hit at every spot takes off the pressure of MUST HAVE performance from him. He talks with Julio, Edgar, and a couple of the vets in the lineup, and simply put… he relaxes.

It’s not crazy. He doesn’t hit .330 or anything like that. Instead, he gets back to September of 2021. He starts hitting in that .260 range, and gets used to seeing MLB pitches, and putting good swings on the ball. He blasts a couple of home runs and starts to get in the groove. With the Mariners being young, they keep him up and don’t pressure him or put out rumors of sending him down.

Those are my bold predictions for the month of May for the Mariners. What do you think? Bold enough? Too vanilla? Let me know, and as always… Go Mariners!