Are the guys at Talkin' Baseball correct in their predictions for the Mariners in 2024?

One of the top baseball podcasts, Talkin' Baseball, had their annual TPP (Team predictions and projections) Mariners episode earlier this week. It is always fun for me to see how the national media portrays the Mariners. For years, it felt like the Mariners were the most forgotten about team in all of baseball. The team stuck up here in Southern Alaska is ready to make waves, and we all know that. So, who are the guys on Talkin' Baseball, and what do they think about the Mariners in 2024?

Jomboy, Jake, and former player Trevor Plouffe make up the podcast. You might know Jomboy from his viral videos on social media, where he breaks down fights and funny things that happen in-game. Jake is the co-host, and Plouffe had a 9 year Major League career. Their podcast is one of the most listened to sports podcasts, and one I listen to every week.

They had a lot of nice things to say about the starting rotation. The top 3 in the rotation, Luis Castillo, George Kirby, and Logan Gilbert may be the best starting 3 in the entire league. Jomboy did go on to say that he isn't sure yet about Bryce Miller. A lot of attention has been made to the new pitch Bryce has been working on, the splitter. He questions how much he will deploy his new pitch, and mentioned how he struggled in 2023. While Miller was hit hard (42.1%, 26th percentile), he did limit the walks, ranking in the 95th percentile. While that is a fair assessment, His splitter has looked nasty this spring, maybe he uses it more than most?

Trevor mentioned that the Mariners have been a reliever factory, and that is absolutely true. Sure, they have shipped out relievers, but they always seem to develop a few guys who seem to break out. Paul Sewald, Kendall Graveman, Justin Topa, Gabe Speier, and Tayler Saucedo just to name a few. Some of these guys were castaways and some of them were failed starters. But the Mariners always seem to unlock something in their bullpen, and these guys keep buying into what the Mariners are selling.

These guys were absolutely gushing over Julio Rodriguez. We know all about this guy, and how much he means to this team and this city. Julio is the star Mariners fans have been waiting for for a long time. They mentioned how much the city has embraced Julio, and that is awesome to hear from the national crowd.

Trevor said that the Mariners are not that far behind the Rangers and Astros, and I completely agree with him. The Rangers have too many question marks in their pitching staff, and the Astros are dealing with injuries too. Should the Mariners be favored over these two teams? No, not yet. But I really do believe in this roster, and I think they are ready to shock the world.

They ended the podcast with a guess of over/under. The win total that Draft Kings had up was 87.5. The Mariners won 88 games last year, so that seems like a fair number. Trevor took the over, saying that he believes this is a 90-win team and they will make the playoffs. Both Jake and Jomboy took the under, saying that they have confidence in the Rangers and Astros to make the moves needed to get better, and they have no confidence in the Mariners doing that.

While that is fair, I just have to have hope. I know that this team will compete, but i hope that the front office can make the moves needed to help push the Mariners past the Rangers and Astros. I hope that the new guys stay healthy, and if that happens, I know that this team is a 90-win team. As always, Go Mariners!