- Thread starter
- #1
NWinAZ
#SeaUsTreadWater
- 18,887
- 6,324
- 533
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2013
- Location
- SW WA
- Hoopla Cash
- $ 1,000.00
- Fav. Team #1
- Fav. Team #2
- Fav. Team #3
THE SEATTLE MIRAGE?
During spring training, a scout told me that he could not understand all of the hype about the Mariners. The scout had a number of concerns about the team, many of which — at least so far — have proven valid.
● Catcher Mike Zunino struggled to hit anything but inside fastballs (Zunino is batting .143 overall with a .518 OPS).
● First baseman Logan Morrison could not be trusted to produce (Morrison is batting .218 with a .617 OPS).
● Right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma was "always hurt" (Iwakuma is on the DL with a right lat strain).
● Righty Taijuan Walker and lefty James Paxton were young pitchers who had yet to complete full major-league seasons (the two have a combined 7.11 ERA in 49 1/3 innings).
● The bullpen could not repeat its performance from last season, when it led the AL with a 2.59 ERA (it currently ranks eighth with a 3.71 ERA).
● Shortstop Brad Miller was a questionable defender (the Mariners, according to the Tacoma News-Tribune, are on the verge of promoting Chris Taylor, who presumably will get most of the time at short).
To all of those issues I will add another: The Mariners remain imbalanced offensively. While Nelson Cruz leads the majors with 13 homers, the team's other right-handed hitters all have on-base/slugging percentages of .664 or below.
As one rival evaluator put it, "They need a right-handed bat other than Cruz, or they will be held in check by left-handed pitching."
Actually, the Mariners are struggling against all kinds of pitching, in part because Robinson Cano is batting just .255 with a .669 OPS. The team is 3-4 in games started by lefties, 7-11 in games started by righties.
--------------------------
I didn't write this article, but it is just about everything I said (not the only one) in the offseason.
During spring training, a scout told me that he could not understand all of the hype about the Mariners. The scout had a number of concerns about the team, many of which — at least so far — have proven valid.
● Catcher Mike Zunino struggled to hit anything but inside fastballs (Zunino is batting .143 overall with a .518 OPS).
● First baseman Logan Morrison could not be trusted to produce (Morrison is batting .218 with a .617 OPS).
● Right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma was "always hurt" (Iwakuma is on the DL with a right lat strain).
● Righty Taijuan Walker and lefty James Paxton were young pitchers who had yet to complete full major-league seasons (the two have a combined 7.11 ERA in 49 1/3 innings).
● The bullpen could not repeat its performance from last season, when it led the AL with a 2.59 ERA (it currently ranks eighth with a 3.71 ERA).
● Shortstop Brad Miller was a questionable defender (the Mariners, according to the Tacoma News-Tribune, are on the verge of promoting Chris Taylor, who presumably will get most of the time at short).
To all of those issues I will add another: The Mariners remain imbalanced offensively. While Nelson Cruz leads the majors with 13 homers, the team's other right-handed hitters all have on-base/slugging percentages of .664 or below.
As one rival evaluator put it, "They need a right-handed bat other than Cruz, or they will be held in check by left-handed pitching."
Actually, the Mariners are struggling against all kinds of pitching, in part because Robinson Cano is batting just .255 with a .669 OPS. The team is 3-4 in games started by lefties, 7-11 in games started by righties.
--------------------------
I didn't write this article, but it is just about everything I said (not the only one) in the offseason.
