2008 Seattle Mariners Picks & Predictions
May 22, 2008
Are the Mariners ready to challenge the Angels for the top spot in the AL West after finishing in second place in 2007? Dave Price provides insight in his 2008 Seattle Mariners predictions and season preview.
Pitching
Felix Hernandez is close to being considered in the same breath as the other elite AL hurlers like Josh Beckett and C.C. Sabathia. He has won 26 games the past two seasons and this could be the year he really explodes. Southpaw Jarrod Washburn appears to have all the tools, but he is only 18-29 in his first two seasons with Seattle. Miguel Batista is the wild card. He won a career-high 16 games in 2008, but I’m reluctant to think he can do it again. Carlos Silva comes over from Minnesota and should find a spot in the rotation as well.
The M’s are in good hands if they can get J.J. Putz the ball with a lead in the ninth. He had 76 saves the past two seasons with an ERA under 2.00. Last season he really earned his money with 40 saves and a 1.38 ERA. Sean Green is this team’s middle relief workhorse. His performance will be critical again as several of the M’s starters don’t have more than six innings in them.
Offense
Ichiro Suzuki is a guy that doesn’t walk much, but he still manages to get on base enough to score 110-plus runs every year. I expect nothing less than another solid year from Seattle’s centerfielder. Adrian Beltre is the big bopper in this lineup. He slugged 26 homeruns and 99 RBIs in 2007 and I expect him to raise the bar again in 2008. Raul Ibanez doesn’t have quite as much power, but he still hit 21 bombs and added 105 RBIs in the clean-up slot. Richie Sexson is a guy which has put up good power number in the past. He’ll need to return to form if the Mariners want to challenge for the AL West title.
Seattle’s starting pitching isn’t as good as the Angels’s starting pitching and its batting order doesn’t have quite as much pop. Still, this is a team which is capable of winning the West if a veteran Angels club runs into injuries. Remember that Seattle improved 10 wins from 2006 to 2007. I don’t see them improving that drastically again, but a 90-win year is certainly not out of the question.
Dave Price is your one and only choice for the most consistent MLB picks all season long. Make sure you read all of his MLB predictions articles to get a feel for the teams before the season starts so you won’t be surprised when you see that so and so is playing for another team this year. Get ready to own your bookmaker from Opening Day through the World Series with Dave Price and his staff of professional handicappers.
Defense
Yuniesky Betancourt has seemingly shaken off his error problems to look like the staple of the Mariners’ infield while second baseman Jose Lopez needs to return to the form that earned him an All-Star nod in 2006. Adrian Beltre added a Gold Glove award to his resume last season making him one of the best all around third baseman in baseball. Sexson would have been gone this season if the Mariners could have found any takers because of his bat, not his glove. The outfield, anchored by Ichiro, is solid but not spectacular.
Odds to win AL West: 5/2
Odds to win 2008 AL Pennant: 12/1
Odds to win 2008 World Series: 25/1
AL West
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