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Marco Gonzales' Reemergence Effects Mariners' Present, Future
The Mariners' development system has its strengths, most of all in cultivating pitching. We've all seen Logan Gilbert and George Kirby take the next step. Matt Brash thrived once the team moved him to a bullpen role. Many of the top prospects are also pitchers, such as Bryce Miller, Emerson Hancock, Prelander Berroa, and Bryan Woo. With most of this wave of talent months not years away from making an impact at the major league level, it begs to ask the question, "What does this mean for Marco Gonzales?"
Marco Gonzales isn't the fifth starter
The crafty lefty came into the season in the "best shape of his life." We know he came in with something to prove, considering a subpar 2022 by his standards. He also must be feeling the pressure of those quality arms performing well in Arkansas. Additionally, the team is in a different place this season—where they can't punt winnable games (see Chris Flexen).
Marco Gonzales looking athletic and clean-cut in his first bullpen. pic.twitter.com/pO17R5m1Ot
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) February 16, 2023
Many people felt Gonzales' role on the team was as a fifth starter, and that was an obvious assumption considering the gap in pure stuff between him and the other starters. But with Flexen's struggles, we can say the 30-year-old southpaw is locked into the fourth spot.
Marco Gonzales is embracing analytics
Anyone who has watched Gonzales throw knows his recipe for success is locating his pitches and playing the yo-yo game with a hitter's timing. The great thing is five starts in; you can see some adjustments to his approach that are putting him in a position to provide quality innings. There is a good chance the Mariners' analytics department crafted a plan for his 2023 season. The first is less reliance on his 89-mph fastball and more quality curves and changeups.
We saw the same adjustments from a similar Mariner southpaw when faced with Father Time and hitters catching up to a middling fastball.
Marco Gonzales is channeling his inner Jamie Moyer
The former two-way star at Gonzaga is using his "dad strength" and critical analytical data to lay out a future that includes him on this team. The results are proving Marco Gonzales might stick around for a while like a former Mariner, Jamie Moyer. How so? Well, the command is still elite, especially with the off-speed offerings.
#Mariners Marco Gonzales
— MLB Quality of Pitch (@qopbaseball) April 26, 2023
2023 Off Speed Pitch Quality ⭐️
4.92 QOPA (Top 9% MLB) ✅
Location (Top 1%) 🎯
Late Break (Top 16%)
Horizontal Break (Top 33%)@MarcoGonzales_ #SeaUsRise pic.twitter.com/JKLjgQP5Xt
Last night was vintage Marco. Yes, he only threw five innings, but to give up one run in the bandbox of Citizen's Bank Ballpark and to that lineup is no small feat. But that performance isn't an anomaly; he has performed at this level all season. Marco Gonzales this season. 3.32 ERA 0.81 (4.13 in 2022) 1.25 WHIP 0.08% (1.33 in 2022) 17 Ks (22.1%) 9.1% 28 Cutters Thrown (11.1%) 2.3%.
The bottom line is Gonzales has some measurable improvements from 2022 that could further solidify his role on the team in the future. Chances are at least two of the Arkansas Travelers starters will slide into bullpen roles (Berroa, Woo). That will help Marco's long term chances of sticking in Seattle for the long haul. While we are at it, let's get his bat in the DH spot (career slash .217/.217/.348). It couldn't be any worse than what Tommy La Stella is providing.