Are we worse than last year?

[seahawksfan234]

I have to ask this question because despite adding Cano, Hart and Rodney, we honestly look worse to me. Morales is gone, Raul's 29 HRs in 129 games are gone, Seager looks like he doesn't know what universe he is in, Iwakuma and Walker are yet to pitch and our $240m man is only hitting .268 with 1 HR.

 

[unlvmariners]

Before the season started I stated that this team honestly looks a lot like last years team except with less pitching depth and not much of a change offensively. Every year they change names on the back of the jerseys but construct the team the exact same way.

-The all around hitter is Cano, last year it was Morales.
-Our terrible fielding outfielders are Morrison and Hart, last year Ibanez, Morse and Bay.
-Our newer younger youngsters that have potential to be the next baseball oracle, then hit the piss out of the ball for about 4 minutes then couldn't hit water if they fell out of a fuckin boat for the next 3-4 seasons.

-Pitching we never really have enough but we have enough to get by because we add the Milwood type.

 

[SeattleCoug]

It's tough to tell but on paper they look pretty similar.

Our catcher and second base spots are improved but not really anywhere else. Maybe left if Ackley keeps hitting

Third base seems much worse unless Seagar figures it out. Spots like SS, 1B and cf are a wash at this point.

The rotation should be a lot better once healthy. Hard to imagine it being worse then a rotation with Saunders and Harang, although of course Harang is really good now because that's just what happens to former Mariners.

The bullpen is probably the same. It could be better if we stopped using Wilhelmsen as the setup guy. The guy I trust most is Farqhuar but it seems like Lloyd prefers Tom in close situations for whatever reason.

I want to believe they are better and think they could/should be better but they have to show me first.

 

[johnfree63]

If you look at it statistically, they're worse.

1. Almonte's OPS is .050 lower then the cluster fuck they had lead off last year
2. Brad Miller's OPS is .140 lower then last year
3. Smoak is still on the team and his OBP is .030 lower
4. All of Seager's stats are down even from when he struggled in the 2nd half last year.
On and on and on

Basically the only things going better this year are Felix so far, Ackley currently has a higher OPS then the LF last year and Corey Hart has a OPS .100 higher the anyone on last years team.

 

[Banned 10x]

If you look at it statistically, they're worse.

1. Almonte's OPS is .050 lower then the cluster fuck they had lead off last year
2. Brad Miller's OPS is .140 lower then last year
3. Smoak is still on the team and his OBP is .030 lower
4. All of Seager's stats are down even from when he struggled in the 2nd half last year.
On and on and on

Basically the only things going better this year are Felix so far, Ackley currently has a higher OPS then the LF last year and Corey Hart has a OPS .100 higher the anyone on last years team.

I've been patient with Smoak, I really have. I went into this year thinking this would be his year...

Wrong again.

 

[mcnabb7542]

Already 6 games back in three weeks, I think it's time to stop the line up shuffle and stick with certain players, this revolving door in right and at 1st is getting old, Morrison is hurt again, so leave Hart out there, keep Saunders on the bench or just flat out release him, and leave Smoak alone at first. The guy is a switch hitter, let him get his AB's at the end of May if there isnt improvement then sit him or move him to another team.

Seager I'm not worried about, kid was gonna hit a slide sooner or later, but you keep running him out there to find it again....

 

[cezero]

Already 6 games back in three weeks, I think it's time to stop the line up shuffle and stick with certain players, this revolving door in right and at 1st is getting old, Morrison is hurt again, so leave Hart out there, keep Saunders on the bench or just flat out release him, and leave Smoak alone at first. The guy is a switch hitter, let him get his AB's at the end of May if there isnt improvement then sit him or move him to another team.

Seager I'm not worried about, kid was gonna hit a slide sooner or later, but you keep running him out there to find it again....

i don't even look at the division standings.

the first 3 games were an anomaly, so you can just throw those right out the window. since then, they've gone 4-11

success for this team is .500, which would actually be monumental success given the incompetence for the past thousand games.

coming from 4 games below .500 to get to an even record seems insurmountable for this team, but i'm still holding out a modicum of hope that they can win 81 this year.

 

[mcnabb7542]

i don't even look at the division standings.

the first 3 games were an anomaly, so you can just throw those right out the window. since then, they've gone 4-11

success for this team is .500, which would actually be monumental success given the incompetence for the past thousand games.

coming from 4 games below .500 to get to an even record seems insurmountable for this team, but i'm still holding out a modicum of hope that they can win 81 this year.

They need to score runs, no more of this 1 and 2 run crap, the pitching staff is thin, (starters) and the bullpen has one or two guys that do not belong in the big's anymore, but there still keeping them in the games (some games) offense needs to produce more....

Prime example: yesterday Miller standing at third, Smoak at first, Ack never ever attempted or showed bunt, he was green lighted to swing away, your down by one, tying run 90 feet, and there playing it like the season doesn't matter....

 

[PolarVortex]

Hitting certainly isn't any better. But when 3/5ths of the rotation is DLed, it's hard to get a true read on the team.

When Iwakuma, Paxson and Walker are back, the Mariners will easily have the best rotation in the AL West. (Yes, better than Oakland.) I don't know how far that rotation can carry them, but it has to be better than where they are at now. Getting Pryor back will help too.

 

[NWinAZ]

I'll say it again, counting on rookie pitchers to carry your team to success is a recipe for disaster. Using them as back end guys to help when needed in their rookie years is more standard. So them being out can't be counted as a disappointment, but more of a mathematical certainty.

 

[SeattleCoug]

Ill throw the rotation aside here. Because honestly you could have Felix and clone him 4 times and this probably still a .500 baseball team with the way they hit. The hitting is what drives me crazy. In the other thread I made, I pointed out this offense has been no where close to even a league average in any of Z's six years. Outside of maybe a year of Russell Branyan, every offensive addition has been a bust. All of them.

They cant ever hit with the game on the line either. I knew Seagar would strike out with the bases loaded and I knew Franklin and Saunders would strike out with the game on the line. Its all to predictable, wash rinse repeat.

 

[NWinAZ]

Here is what I looked up;


Since 2000, the Safeco Years, we have finished in the top 20 in runs 5 times:
2007 - 12th
2003 - 11th 93 wins
2002 - 7th 93 wins
2001 - 1st 116 wins
2000 - 7th 91 wins


So the only years since playing in Safeco that we have finished in the top 20 in offense are the only years we have had 90+ wins as well. 2007 we had 88 wins. 90 wins is usually the mark needed to contend so I guess the formula is simple, but somehow unattainable for the M's.



Top 20 in pitching:


2012 20th
2011 15th
2010 9th
2009 6th
2006 19th
2005 20th
2003 4th
2002 13th
2001 1st
2000 9th

 

[NWinAZ]

The point backs up that even 5 Felix's wouldn't guarantee us a 90+ win season. I think the fact that we have had 5 top 20 seasons in runs scored and have finished with 90+ wins in for of them, 88 for the other, is no coincidence. Pitching is great, but offense is essential.

 

[SeattleCoug]

Well we cant blame it on the fences anymore. I guess we will just with that whole marine layer thing then

 

[NWinAZ]

Good as any excuse. I tend to go with the fact we have bad players, but that has been over used.

 

[cezero]

Good as any excuse. I tend to go with the fact we have bad players, but that has been over used.

you are Occam incarnate.

 

[NWinAZ]

you are Occam incarnate.

Thanks...I think?

 

[seahawksfan234]

God this franchise is fucking pathetic.

 

[cezero]

Thanks...I think?

i meant it as a compliment

 

[SeattleCoug]

I guess the question of are we worse then last year, is getting easier to answer by the day.