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3 Mariners starting pitchers that will begin the season at Triple-A, and 2 who won't
With the big league rotation set, we take a look at the Mariners AAA affiliate Tacoma Rainiers, and 3 starting pitchers who will start there and 2 who won't
Of all the teams in baseball, the Mariners might be up at the top when it comes to their big league rotation being set. Luis Castillo, George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, Bryce Miller, and Bryan Woo are all currently locked in. You have Anthony DeSclafani sitting as the 6th starter and long reliever for the team. That's set in stone as much as possible at this point in time.
It leads to the question of wondering who is behind those players, and where they are going to be in the upcoming season. That's the point of today's article, taking a look at some of those potential "next guys up", and where they will be at in 2024.
Some of them, the older ones or closer ones, will likely be with the AAA Tacoma Rainiers to start the season. Others, who are either coming off of injury or a bit younger, will be at AA. While the depth of the Mariners system is a lot lighter than it has been in the past for their starting pitching prospects, there are still definitely some names that we need to keep an eye on and an ear out for.
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.
The pitchers who will be with the AAA Tacoma Rainiers
Juan Mercedes
We start with the lesser known of the 3 in Mercedes. He spent most of the year in AA last season, struggling mightily after doing quite well in High-A. It was a tale of two seasons, as the numbers at Arkansas look so much worse across the board compared to Everett. However, with the Mariners shallow staff in the minors, they might challenge Mercedes, as rumors have him starting in Tacoma to see how he does.
Taylor Dollard
Dollard is the one, personally, that I think everyone should keep an eye on in the Mariners Farm System. Even over Hancock. After a dominating 2022 that saw Dollard win Pitcher of the Year amidst a 2.25 ERA and just 0.951 WHIP, Dollard would blow out his arm early in 2023 resulting in Labrum surgery.
All of his pitches sit around average grades, but it's the command that stands out. Similar to VanScoter, he is a command first pitcher whose success depends on a feel for the zone. Looking to fill the role as an old school high floor innings eater, watching how he comes back from the Labrum injury will be huge for his future.
Emerson Hancock
The... gem (?) of the Mariners farm system, Hancock has a lot less shine and luster than he did in the past. Injuries have derailed his ability to get any kind of consistency or a foothold anywhere in the organization. The former top 100 prospect actually made a couple of starts for the Mariners last year before being shut down once again with shoulder issues. It was precautionary, and they kept him out the remainder of the year although they could've had him back for a start or two, but chose to be safe instead.
He hit 100+ innings for the first time in 2023, getting up to 110 before being shut down. If he can get back to pitching like he did in 2021 and 2022, the Mariners righty will quickly remind everyone why he was a top 100 prospect. As he makes starts in Tacoma, there will be more concern over him actually making the starts as opposed to how he does in them.
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