With 63 games left, the Seattle Mariners have plenty of time—and talent—to increase their winning percentage and climb several positions in their division. The bullpen is young and has a mixed batch of talent. The Mariners have Cory Gearrin, Marco Gonzales, Tommy Milone, and Mike Leake as potential game winners if paired in the right combinations.
A Gonzales and Leake pitching combination should cement victories as long as Gonzales can close the games by himself. Leake had 96 pitches against St. Louis; the Mariners should have been able to hold the advantage except for a letdown with the closers. Leake showed he could wear down the batters, and it was more than his first time doing so.
The division is weak this year. Only the Houston Astros, with a record of 59 and 37, are unlikely to have a meltdown letting the other teams up. The Oakland Athletics, at 54 and 41, are the contender for second place in the division. The Mariners play them at the end of the season. Losses given to them are more than possible if the bullpen is worked correctly with their closers.
Vogelbach is hitting exceptionally well, Mallex is moving across the bases, and Seager is hitting players home as usual. Moving Seager to the number 3 spot in the batting order, with Vogelbach as cleanup, would be a scoring lineup.
Seattle’s bats should be more than confident with their performance recently, with not much more improvement needed. Mostly the batting averages need to improve by .025 in the percentages to cement them as a hitting team.
The M’s need to organize their pitching. The pitching crew is young and new, especially the closers. A little movement matchup, possibly one more starter before the trade deadline, and the bullpen cold be organized for victory. Felix will come back and contribute, adding a win to almost every game he pitches.
Matchups in the pitching combinations could be altered. Felix matched with Elias, Leake with Gonzales, and Milone with Gearrin, could easily contribute wins for the team as long as the closers are kept in to finish games themselves.
The Mariners have almost all the talent they need, and acquiring a pitcher, as opposed to a hitter before the trade deadline, is their best bet for success.
Go Mariners.
