3 Mariners starting pitchers that will begin the season at Triple-A, and 2 who won't

The pitchers who will be with the AA Arkansas Travelers

Reid VanScoter

I almost threw Marcelo Perez on this list, but chose to go with these two guys instead. We start off by looking at Reid VanScoter, who spent the entire 2023 season in High-A. He had a great year and looks like he could be the next sneaky mid Day 2 grab for the Mariners.

VanScoter threw 143.1 IP last season, 55 more than his final season in college, which was his previous career high. He made 25 starts, showing an ability to go nearly 6 IP per start, leaving little to no concern about arm strength. With a 3.27 ERA and 1.22 WHIP, he had great numbers across the board. As a lefty with good command and control, he walked just 2.0 and 2.4 per 9 his final two years of college, followed up by 2.2/9 in High-A last year. He pairs that with a good K rate, falling just shy of double-digits at 9.9/9.

He's a lefty that falls in with the Mariners history of having crafty ones, sitting low 90s with great feel and ability to keep hitters off balance. He might be the biggest riser in the Mariners system, and went from an unranked prospect to someone who looks to be challenging for a big league spot if he can repeat his 2023 success.

Jimmy Joyce

Joyce split time last year between High-A and AA, but dominated High-A. He still managed a good showing across 30.2 IP in Arkansas, sporting a 3.82 ERA, with good control and K numbers of 2.9 and 8.5, respectively. They were a lot better in Everett, where they sat at 2.3 and 12.4. Joyce has that "rising" fastball that plays up in the zone, doing more damage than a low-90s fastball would be expected to.