Twitter Discovers Mariners are Pitching-rich

We always knew President of Baseball Operations, Jerry Dipoto, built the 2023 Mariners with a simple blueprint, including timely hitting, a lockdown bullpen, and a murderer’s row of starting pitching. Finally, the rest of the world is starting to figure this out. Maybe it’s the team’s location, or they scuffled out of the gate. But the Mariners weren’t getting their due respect; at least the starting five weren’t. George Kirby’s dominant start against a Top 5 offense in Boston on national television changed the narrative. 

For the data folks, a few numbers to chew on. Over the past month, the Mariners’ pitching staff have the 2nd-best pitching staff since 2002, ranking only behind the 2013 Tigers in fWAR (8.6) through 40 games. In the last month, the arms have kept this team afloat, and that is an understatement. If it wasn't for the starters elevating their games this team would be buried under the .500 mark.

Solo accomplishments include Kirby’s seven game quality start (6 innings, three runs or less) streak. How about rookie Bryce Miller’s dynamic fastball carving up lineups at an unprecedented rate? Or Logan Gilbert’s dominance this past week, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning. That doesn’t account for Luis Castillo, who is in the Top 5 in starting pitcher WAR in the American League, and the re-emergence of crafty-lefty and self-pronounced boring guy Marco Gonzales. 

The warm summer months are ahead, and critical bats like Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, and Ty France are starting to show signs of life. Even Teoscar Hernandez is turning a corner. Here’s hoping the starters continue their epic run because if they do, there is no telling where this team could be at season’s end.