The drought is over. For the first time since 2001, the Mariners are in the playoffs — the culmination of a frenetic rebuild from president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto’s front office. The new-look Mariners, bolstered by an aggressive offseason and trade deadline as well as the AL Rookie of the Year frontrunner, won 90 games and closed out their season with a 69-44 flourish, beginning on June 1. Here’s how their roster breaks down…
Right-Handed Pitchers
- Matt Brash
- Diego Castillo
- Luis Castillo (Game 1 starter)
- Matt Festa
- Logan Gilbert (Game 3 starter)
- George Kirby
- Andres Munoz
- Penn Murfee
- Paul Sewald
- Erik Swanson
Left-Handed Pitchers
- Matthew Boyd
- Robbie Ray (Game 2 starter)
Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
Absent from the postseason roster are Marco Gonzales, who started the final game of the season, and Chris Flexen, who was pushed to the bullpen late in the season due to the strength of the Mariners’ staff. Both could factor into future rounds, if Seattle advances. They’re on the taxi squad alongside lefty Brennan Bernardino and outfielder Cade Marlowe, who’s yet to make his MLB debut but would be first in line should the M’s incur an injury in the outfield.
Jesse Winker, who suffered a neck injury late in the season and was placed on the injured list. That’ll ensure that both Kelenic and Trammell, a pair of former top prospects who’ve crushed Triple-A pitching but have yet to find their footing in the Majors. Even if Kelenic and Trammell have yet to contribute much, the Mariners have received across-the-board contributions have from their draft picks and international signings — Gilbert, Kirby, Rodriguez, Raleigh — and a dizzying array of other trades, some of which have flown relatively under the radar.
France and Munoz, both acquired from the Padres alongside Trammell in a trade that sent Austin Nola to San Diego, have emerged as critical contributors. Crawford came to Seattle from Philadelphia by way of the Jean Segura swap. Swanson was a secondary piece in the James Paxton trade with the Yankees but has emerged as a wipeout reliever. Diego Castillo came over from the Rays last summer, while Brash was acquired from the Padres in exchange for a pitcher, Taylor Williams, who threw just 6 1/3 innings for them. The recently extended Luis Castillo, landed in one of the biggest deals of the deadline season this year, strengthened a rotation headed by 2021 Cy Young winner Robbie Ray, whom the Mariners signed last offseason. That pair will join Gilbert and Kirby in the rotation for years to come in what looks like an increasingly bright future for the Mariners.
the Luis Castillo link in writeup is for Tigers player. Including correct link here: baseball-reference.com/players/c/castilu02.shtml
I wonder if George Kirby is slated to come out of the bullpen this series should the need arise. He has great stuff and command usually, but did fatigue down the stretch. Maybe in shorter bursts (2-3 innings) he could be a very effective weapon.
Fatigue isn’t what I would call it, that was Logan Gilbert. Kirby exceeded his innings total from the previous year and they watched his innings to ensure he didn’t fatigue. No one from the front office or himself said at any point during the season that he fatigued. Never had a case of dead arm, and had games where he was pulled after 75 pitches when he was clearly dominant. He did have two flunky starts in September, but when asked if it was fatigue denied it.
Kirby’s velo down markedly in September.
~96 all season….94 now.
I think Kirby definitely fatigued. Gilbert looked like he was uncomfortable for a bit but settled back in. Kirby lost velo, Gilbert didn’t.
Jarred Kelenic?
What? That career .168 average doesn’t wow you? It’s not like he has twice as many Ks as he does hits in 500 at bats.
LOL! Career .168 average! A career that has spanned all of 500 AB’s! =))
I’m not actually arguing with you. He has had a pretty bad introduction to the majors. Also, just in case a Mariners fan feels the need to defend him, this is not in any way a statement to the effect that the Mariners should give up on Kelenic. He does need more time in the minors though.
Winker and Haggerty are hurt and Kyle Lewis never got healthy. JK can at least play elite LF defense and hit a jack now and then. Marlowe is too much of an unknown to include over him.
As an Astros fan the blue jays frighten me. Come on Mariners you can do this!!!!
You haven’t seen the Ms in the second half playing our best ball. Careful what you wish for.
Actually I have but to think they offer a bigger threat then the stacked blue jays is a bad take
I was talking about the Astros. The team you are so afraid of just got woopped by the team you are asking for.
If Ray struggles they can bring in Kirby in for long relief. I think you are selling us short. That is OK doubt the team if we make it hope to shut your fans up in first.
They had to beg those fans to cheer after the first. Only time they really got into when we hit their guy. Doubt it was on purpose but they hit our star twice. Hope to see you this next series. Will give you a chance to see the hind end of the team you will be looking at next year.
The Astros mopped the floor with the mariners this year especially when Verlander pitched. If the mariners are so amazing why did the Astros have the division locked up a month ago? It’s simple because the Astros are an elite team while the mariners are up and coming but not quite there yet. Sure it’s the playoffs and anything can happen but you should feel lucky if your fav team makes it past Toronto. Again they are STACKED
Funny you call 4-0 whooped. Okay couple balls bounced the mariners way, you have to win 2 more in Toronto now. Good luck
@Compassrose. I am rooting for the M’s like you, but that is an awfully bold statement about a team that has wiped the plate with us for the past several years.
They only have to win ONE more.
The Mariners beat Verlander once and Verlander beat us once. Yes, Houston is the elite team in the AL. But Seattle can hang with them and even beat them. Let’s play the games!
Maybe you should check your stats again. Verlander was 5-1 against the mariners this year
I appreciate the love for Toronto, but the Astro’s shouldn’t be afraid of anyone in the American League.
Toronto is the only playoff team in the AL with a winning record against Houston this year.
Old Expos fan I am not sure how bold it is since I never said anything like we will beat you. I said they missed seeing the Ms at their best. I would take any pitching matchup with the Astros. The only thing that could be a problem is scoring runs but they will have the same problem. It will be a good matchup of teams that know a lot about each other except this team has changed since last we met. They are basically the same.
It’s the playoffs any team can win. On paper the Astros and dodgers are the two top teams in baseball. That’s not to say the rest of the playoff teams have just don’t have as good of a chance to win it all because baseball isn’t played on paper. Let’s be real though if it’s mariners and Astros , the mariners would be the underdog of that series
You really think the mariners and the Astros are “the same”? I think you’re the one who hasn’t watched much baseball
Like I said we played you all early games. We are a way different team starting with the 14 game win streak. You can call yourself elite the media called the Jays elite and we had no chance. Your team is good very good but we don’t give up. It will be a fun series.
Def will be a fun series. 14 games is a sss over a 162 game season.
I’ll be on the way to Thailand and won’t land until after the first pitch. My intern will be handling the slider account in my absence. His name is slider as well.
I’m surprised Julio Rosriguez made the roster.
From a guy that writes stuff on her trying to be funny and fails your joke fell flat as a cow pie.
Agreed I mean he’s “only” the front runner for rookie of the year why would the mariners want someone like that on their team
At least I’m consistent. So there’s that.
What team smacked the crawdads out of Toronto just b4 the all star game?
Elite pitching and nasty bullpen+ timely clutch hits(like Raleigh did today and afew games ago). Sea in 3
This didn’t age well
This is poorly written. Some of the sentence structures are hard to understand.
Respectfully.
This Mariners team, as I said weeks ago, can beat anybody any time.
But, as Yogi showed us, you have to play ’em before you start crowing.
Thank you mariners!!!! Got rid of imo the best offense in baseball. Come on down to Houston and let’s have a hell of a series.
Hats off for a job well done!
Now I am crowing.
(Had to wait until after the actual win)
And what a win it was!
Me too, Fred! All the endless comparisons with Toronto because we came into MLB the same year they did, having to endure their successes through all our failures… I view our series win against them as massive payback for years of torture. Anyone can beat anyone in the playoffs! Now let’s take care of the Astros!
Would be very impressive if they knock off the Astros. Would be pretty awesome I must admit if the Astros, Yankees, braves, and dodgers all lose their first series so we get some new teams fighting for it all