The Mariners Should Prepare to Play Against a Stronger Oakland Team!
By Christine Navarro
![Oakland Athletics v Seattle Mariners Oakland Athletics v Seattle Mariners](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_6475,h_3642,x_0,y_226/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/65/01hp7wtvtaydjh3ttxhe.jpg)
Mariners vs Athletics: Relief Pitching
Oakland brought in some new relief pitchers and currently lists 10 pitchers in their Depth Chart. They range in age from 22-year-old Joey Estes to 31-year-old Trevor Gott who pitched part of the 2023 season with Seattle and the other part with the Mets.
RHP Zach Johnson earned a 2.5 ERA after throwing 39 innings this past season. Mitch Spence is a 25-year-old Kirkland, WA native who will debut. Zach Jackson had a 2.5 ERA in 2023 after pitching in 19 games. (Jackson was rehabbing from a right flexor tendon strain in July 2023 and then had acute appendicitis. His return is unknown as of 8/1/2023.) Baseball Reference anticipates that the Seattle pitchers will have a cumulative ERA of 4.04 and the Oakland relief pitchers will have a cumulative ERA of 4.06. Seattle has no numerical advantage here.