Three Mariners Bold Predictions for the month of June

June’s #1 Mariners Bold Prediction: Geno heats up

It’s gotta happen, right? Suarez has actually been playing decent this year and is slotting in as about a 3.5 WAR player according to baseball-reference. The big change is that he is actually playing above average/good defense. If he can keep that up all year, it’ll be a welcome surprise and a good indicator that his shoulder is healthy.

However, it doesn’t explain why he isn’t producing as well on the offensive side. Through his first two months on the Mariners, Suarez is hitting just .220/.308/.441, and leads baseball with 65 Ks.

He does have 10 2Bs and 9 HRs, though, which is providing some value. He’s on pace to turn in a oWAR in the low 3s, which gets us to that ~3.5 WAR number I just mentioned. A hot June could really improve that.

I’m thinking something along the lines of a .250/.330/.515, with 7 HR and 6 2B. Nothing too crazy, and it wouldn’t be something he hasn’t done multiple times in his career. Just a little added punch to the lineup, and the offense becomes much more formidable. I think it starts with Suarez, and he shows up in June with some pop.

June’s #2 Mariners Bold Prediction: Ray gets back to form

We are coming off a stretch where every Mariners starting pitcher has come out and been dominant over their last outing… and now we need the reigning Cy Young award winner to do the same thing. Check it out.

• Chris Flexen: 7 IP, 1 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 6 K, 99 pitches, Game Score of 63
• Logan Gilbert: 7 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 5 K, 100 pitches, Game Score of 74
• Marco Gonzales: 7.1 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 2K, 96 pitches, Game Score of 61
• George Kirby: 6 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 8 K, 94 pitches, Game Score of 71

Robbie Ray is facing a young and aggressive Orioles team today, one that has shown a tendency to swing often and at pitches that are close to the zone. It seems like he is starting to get a better feel for his pitches lately. Even though he’s given up some runs, he is striking more guys out, and it makes me feel like a big game is coming.

He’s gone 10-9-8-10 with a 3.90 FIP in his last four starts. I think it starts today with a 7 IP, 2 ER, 12 K game, where he makes a single mistake and gives up a bomb, but otherwise shuts down the Orioles lineup.

He’s likely going to face the Orioles, Astros, Red Sox, Angels, Athletics, and Orioles again this month. For the Mariners to chip away and get back into the WC race, they are going to need some better outings from Ray.

June’s #3 Mariners Bold Prediction: Gilbert throws a CG SO with 13 Ks

Gilbert has looked awesome all year, and like the Mariners best pitcher. So I’m going to go out on a limb and say he turns in not just the best Mariners outing of the year, but one of the best in all of baseball to date. At the start of the month, Walker Buehler has the best game score with a mark of 91, coming on a night where he threw a CG SO with 10 Ks and just three hits allowed.

I think Gilbert is going to just barely top that. 13 Ks and four hits allowed, for a game score of 92. His career best is an 83, which he did in a 7 IP gem against the Yankees last year, giving up a single hit and striking out 8.

The big question here is if he can keep the pitch count low enough to last that long, and get enough strikeouts. He’s never even had a game with double-digit Ks. He has gone 7 IP in each of his last three starts, so he’s got it in him if the pitch count can drop a bit.

Wednesday, June 29th against the Orioles in Seattle in the afternoon time slot. It looks like Gilbert will be throwing that game, and it’s a great scenario for him to come out and dominate. Calling it now.

Bonus Mariners Prediction: Catcher position gets solved

Something needs to happen at catcher while Tom Murphy is out. Raleigh hasn’t been hitting well, and Luis Torrens has been putrid.

We really need Murphy back, because one catcher with an average under 200 and nothing but singles in May paired with another catcher who either hits a single or a HR, but is under 150 is an awful combination.

I’d love to see Raleigh pick it up or Torrens find some power like he did last year when he smashed 14 homers in a 52 game stretch. So far, he has 76 ABs in 27 games, and hardly anything to show for it. No homers and one double. A slash line of .197/.271/.211 is gross. Raleigh isn’t much better with a slash of .136/.216/.333 to go along with four singles, four HR, and one double.

I don’t know how it gets solved. Maybe one of them starts hitting. Maybe Murphy comes back. Maybe they both start hitting… you’re right, that seems unrealistic, even for this.

Maybe it’s Brian O’Keefe who comes up. I thought we might see him last year, and the Rainiers catcher is hitting an incredible .339/.453/.581 across 62 ABs with 2 HR and 5 2Bs. Already 28-years-old, he could potentially provide a spark for the catching position.

Well, what do you think? Do you agree with any of there? Are they bold enough for you? Let us know what you think, and as always… Go Mariners!