4 Mariners who have stood out after the first week of the 2024 season

Gabe Speier has taken another step forward

Other than the offense (which was a huge talking point), the emphasis of this offseason was placed on the Mariners bullpen. The Mariners rely heavily on the pitching staff, which even though they are one of the best in the game, are still pretty young and inexperienced.

The Mariners were hoping that some of the other bullpen arms that they relied on a lot last year, like Gabe Speier and Trent Thornton. Gabe Speier has taken that challenge and looks like he is ready to become one of the more underrated relievers in the Mariners' bullpen.

After posting just 40 innings over four years, Speier pitched 54.2 innings in 2023, and not only was it the most innings in his career, but he was the most dominant in that extended look. He had a 3.79 ERA, but the underlying numbers show just how dominant he was. He walked just 1.8 per nine as well as an incredible 10.5 per nine and he hasn't skipped a beat this year. In just 2.1 innings, he hasn't walked a batter and has struck out five of the seven batters faced. Speier looks like he is ready for more work, as well as a more reliable arm that Scott Servais can call upon in 2024.