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3 questions Mariners have answered in Spring Training, 1 they haven't
The Mariners have answered a handful of questions in Spring Training so far, but this is one hanging over their heads that they don't have an answer for yet
The Seattle Mariners have just passed the two-week mark on the spring training schedule. It has been very exciting to see this group play together (many fans wish we could actually watch them more however).
The spring is an exciting time for fans to get to see new faces and how they fit and perform with each other. We get to see a great blend of youth and veteran talent as some of the prospects get to try and earn their stripes alongside veterans that have been in the league for 10+ years.
Spring Training is full of many position battles, along with a lot of anxiety. This team is uber-talented, Dipoto has done such a great job of mixing upside with proven ability. The anxiety comes with the fact that this team has a lot of injury concerns, with many hoping that spring training would just end, and we could get the season on with.
Did the Mariners fix the strikeout issue that plagued them in 2023?
The most frustrating part of the 2023 Mariners team was the lack of production with a runner in scoring position. A big part of this had to do with the ridiculous number of strikeouts. They had two of the top three and three of the top five leaders in strikeouts on the offensive side of the ball. It was constantly a strikeout or two with a runner on third base and less than two outs.
Coming into the 2024 season the biggest emphasis placed on changes was going to be cutting back on strikeouts. The Mariners let Teoscar Hernandez (third in all of MLB in strikeouts) leave without extending the qualifying offer. They also traded Eugenio Suarez (second in MLB in strikeouts). These two combined for 425 strikeouts in 2023; that is just an insane number of strikeouts.
Those two weren’t replaced by any one player as the right field position should see a combination of Dominic Canzone and Mitch Haniger. The Mariners replaced Geno at third base with a platoon of Luis Urias and Josh Rojas. I would bet a lot of money that those groups will strike out significantly less than Teo and Geno did in 2023.
Those two weren’t the only ones with a high strikeout rate in 2023. The Mariners had the second-highest strikeout rate in baseball at 25.9%. Things look to be a lot different for this team in 2024 with a different roster but also based on the early performance this spring. This spring the Mariners are all the way down at number 18 in strikeouts as a team. This is a huge improvement from the 2023 season as they look to have solved and decreased the strikeout issue dramatically.
Who is the next bat up if something happens to France or Garver?
While this team received a complete makeover compared to the 2023 squad, they are not without their warts. This 2024 team comes in with a lot of injury concerns. They will rely on multiple guys either coming off an injury-riddled year or have dealt with significant injuries throughout their careers.
Perhaps the biggest addition to this team in the offseason was Mitch Garver. He should see a ton of time at DH this year (he should catch absolutely 0 games this year). If he can stay healthy, he will be a huge part of this team in 2024. If something were to happen to him, we could be looking at one of the best sluggers in the Mariners' minor leagues in Tyler Locklear.
Locklear is a big dude that has impressed as a professional. He has also had an outstanding spring, leading the Mariners in hits and doubles. He has struck out six times in just 17 plate appearances so he will need to prove he can get that under control. Locklear has proven that he could very well be the next man up if the Mariners are looking for a slugger come the dog days of summer.
With Haniger's health concerns, who replaces him when he goes on the IL?
Another guy who has dealt with injuries throughout his career is one of the fan favorites, Mitch Haniger. Haniger has the potential to be a steal, as someone looked at more as a way to even out salaries in the Robbie Ray trade. He will most likely spend some time on the IL this year and a former Ken Griffey Jr. minor league Player of the Year award winner could be making his claim to fill in.
Marlowe had some ups and downs in 2023, but looked like he could become a solid major leaguer, and at the very least a very good fourth outfielder. Marlowe showed an above average to steal some bases (4 in 34 games) as well as some pop (3 home runs in 34 games). He started to play a little less down the stretch because he was striking out quite a bit (ended the season at a 33% strikeout rate). It was a positive cup of coffee for Marlowe, and he proved he could become a good player.
We have liftoff 🚀 pic.twitter.com/eyvdOGwaTt
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) March 3, 2024
He looks to have built upon that this spring with a home run and just two strikeouts over 15 plate appearances. Marlowe has the ability to become a very valuable power and speed outfielder for this team. He could very well replace the production the Mariners were going to get out of Kelenic this year. Either way, Marlowe has solidified himself as the next outfielder up.
Nagging Issue: Which pitchers will be the first to get a call-up when the rotation catches the injury bug?
The Mariners came into this offseason with what seemed like a plethora of starting pitching. With the big three of Castillo, Kirby, and Gilbert and the emergence of youngsters Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo, the rotation seemed like a strength. There was also a pretty high expectation that the Mariners would trade one of them for a bat.
The Mariners came out and stated that trading one of them was extremely unlikely. It made Mariners fans start to think about the pitching and the depth behind the starting five. The Mariners didn’t have much. Emerson Hancock ended the year on the IL and didn’t really set the world on fire. Behind Hancock, the Mariners don’t have a lot of depth.
After they acquired Anthony Desclafani in the Mitch Haniger and Robbie Ray trade, it all made sense. The Mariners, in theory, had the starting five and two very capable pitchers in tow. It allowed them to be more conservative with both Miller and Woo if they so choose.
After Desclafani was sent to Minnesota in the Polanco trade, we are back wondering who the next man would be up. Options like Casey Lawrence, Austin Voth, and even Trent Thornton were all brought up as potential starting pitchers. None of those guys have particularly stepped up and claimed that title of "the next man up".
Perhaps someone like Levi Stoudt, Hancock, or a youngster like Reid Vanscooter or Marcelo Perez will change people's minds in the next couple of weeks. As things stand, this is a hole that the Mariners have yet to solve.
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