2007 Seattle Mariners Picks & Predictions
June 16, 2008
The Mariners have been in the basement of the American League West the past three seasons so what is it that has this franchise thinking it can challenge for a division title in 2007? Purely optimism.
The biggest reason why we can’t expect the Mariners to challenge for an AL West title is their starting pitching. This is the one area where Seattle really needed to get better and management did nothing. Seattle tied for eighth in the American League in ERA last season, which just isn’t going to get it done in a league stacked with quality starting rotations. Even though the Mariners should see some improvements in their offensive lineup, I don’t think it will be enough to overcome their starting pitching woes.
Seattle may want to consider giving their pen some more innings. J.J. Putz was unstoppable last season coming out of the pen with his second-to-none split-finger-fastball. Mark Lowe also gave the Mariners solid relief appearances in 2006 and it will really hurt that he is out until midseason. Hernandez and Washburn are good, but not good enough to ever threaten 20 wins. There are so many holes at the end of this rotation that I wonder if the Mariners can ever return to being an AL West powerhouse.
Jose Vidro and Richie Sexson will be the big homerun/RBI guys for the Mariners this season. Vidro gets to take the DH role which should keep him healthy enough to have a very nice season. Sexson is old reliable for the M’s. He is a religious 30 homerun and 100 RBI slugger who is pretty underrated in my opinion. Ichiro gets on base as well as any hitter in baseball and Adrian Beltre gives the Mariners an elite talent.
Seattle has some pop in its bats, but its unfriendly hitters’ park gets plenty of criticism when the Mariners’ sticks struggle. Perhaps, Seattle management should look to go away from building a team suited for winning slug fests and build one with a quality starting rotation and defense which could thrive in a pitcher-friendly park the way Padres pitchers have in San Diego.
Seattle gets better in 2007. They’ve done enough to do that in a weak division, but by improve, I merely mean playing around .500 ball. Starting pitching will be the Achilles heel for this team again this season and it will be the biggest reason why the Mariners will be in or near the basement again out west.
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