Matt Brash should have a nasty 2023 for the Mariners according to STEAMER Projections

One of the more interesting Mariners players to bring up in conversation is Matt Brash. There are so many different topics relating to him. You can talk about his nasty stuff. His youth. His presence. Whether you think he should be a starter or reliever. For now, I just want to talk about his STEAMER projections for 2023. We're definitely going to have more on him before the season starts, but that's the focus for today.

Personally, I like having him as a reliever. I didn't want them to stick him there last year, preferring to see him grow and mature as a starter on the mound in the minors. However, with the trade for Luis Castillo and the emergence of George Kirby, I've changed my tune. He has the tools to be a dominant reliever, and I think that is where he is currently best suited for the Mariners. Here's part of the reasoning...

2022 - 50.2 IP, 4.44 ERA, 3.51 FIP, 11.01 K/9, 5.86 BB/9, 1.56 WHIP, .352 BABIP, 0.6 fWAR
Starter - 5 Starts, 20 IP, 7.65 ERA, 5.86 FIP, 8.6 K/9, 7.7 BB/9, 2.05 WHIP .382 BABIP,
Reliever - 34 App, 30.2 IP, 2.35 ERA, 1.97 FIP, 12.6 K/9, 4.8 BB/9, 1.24 WHIP .333 BABIP
STEAMER - 63 App, 63 IP, 3.17 ERA, 3.35 FIP, 11 K/9, 4.1 BB/9, 1.25 WHIP, .290 BABIP

Those are his stats in 2022, and then split out as a starter and reliever. You can see the massive improvement that was made once he moved to the pen. Everything improves. They're predicting a darn good season from him, and it's honestly impressive to see something predicted like that for such a young player with just a season of experience.

Shoot, it's even more impressive considering he'd never been a reliever before this season. It's a whole new mindset, and it was one that he not only fully embraced, but one that he quickly acclimated to.

I think that's a pretty accurate representation for what we are going to see from Matt Brash this season. The only qualm I have with it is the K/9, which I think is going to be more in line, or even higher, than it was in 2022. If STEAMER projections are right, I think we are all going to be real happy with Brash's stats in 2023.