Blog Archives

Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May.26) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

Photo: Patrick Breen/azcentral sports

Photo: Patrick Breen/azcentral sports

A.J. Pollock finished a 3 hit day with a 2 out, bottom of the 9th, 2 run walk off homer to give Arizona a 7-5 win over the Padres.

Hyun-jin Ryu tried to make it back to back no hitters for the Dodgers. He took a perfect game into the 8th against the Reds before needing help from the bullpen. He would finish with 7 1/3 strong innings and a 3-2 win over the Reds.

Jonathan Schoop went 3-5 with 2 homers, leading the Orioles in a 7-6 come from behind win in Milwaukee.

Tommy Milone pitched shutout ball into the 7th inning, letting up 4 hits and helped the A’s trounce the Tigers, 10-0.

They owned baseball on May.26, 2014.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.

Read the rest of this entry

Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May.25) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

Ron Cortes / McClatchy-Tribune

Ron Cortes / McClatchy-Tribune

Josh Beckett threw the first no hitter of 2014 and the first Dodger no no since 1996 as he dominated the Phillies, 6-0.

Evan Gattis homered twice, driving in 3 runs and led the Braves to a 7-0 victory against the Rockies.

Dallas Keuchel pitched a complete game victory, letting up just one unearned run, walking none, as the Astros topped the Mariners, 4-1/

Derek Jeter had a 4 hit game in the Yankees 7-1 thrashing of the White Sox.

They owned baseball on May.25, 2014.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.

Read the rest of this entry

Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May.24) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

Duane Burleson, AP

Duane Burleson, AP

Rougned Odor went 4-5 with 5 RBI including a pair of triples helping the hobbled Rangers blow out the Tigers, 12-2.

R. A. Dickey pitched into the 9th innings, giving the Blue Jays 8 1/3 innings of 5 hit, 1 walk, 2 run ball. He got the victory over Oakland, 5-2.

Ben Revere went 4-4, including a double, drove in a run and scored 3, leading the Phillies to a 5-3 over the Dodgers.

Travis Wood threw 7 1/3 innings of 3 hit ball, walking just 2 batters. He earned the 3-2 decision for the Cubs in San Diego.

They owned baseball on May.24, 2014.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.

Read the rest of this entry

Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May.23) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

Photo: Nick Wass, AP

Photo: Nick Wass, AP

 

Chris Davis got on base 3 times, homered and drove in 4 runs, powering the Orioles to an 8-4 victory over Cleveland.

Felix Hernandez dominated the Astros with 8 strong innings, 5 hits, 1 run, 1 walk and 9 strikeouts as the Mariners rolled, 6-1.

Mark Reynolds homered twice and helped Milwaukee win a slugfest against Miami, 9-5.

Gavin Floyd pitched into the 7th, letting up just 2 runs in 6 2/3 innings, striking out 7 and walking none. He didn’t get the decision but helped set up Atlanta’s 3-2 topping of Colorado.

They owned baseball on May.23, 2014.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.

Read the rest of this entry

Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May.22) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

Nam Y. Huh/AP

Nam Y. Huh/AP

Chris Sale came off the DL and retired the first 17 Yankees he faced. A base hit prevented him from pushing the no hitter issue and finished with 6 innings of 1 hit shutout ball with 10 strikeouts and no walks. He got the 3-2 win for the White Sox.

Jose Bautista went 3-5 with a homer leading the Blue Jays to a 7-2 victory and a sweep of the slumping defending champion Red Sox.

Henderson Alvarez gave the Marlins 7 innings of 4 hit shutout ball, walking just 2 Phillies in the process. He did not get the decision but the Marlins walked off a 4-3 winner.

Shane Robinson went 3-4, hit a game tying double and scored an insurance run in the Cardinals come from behind 4-2 win over Arizona.

They owned baseball on May.22, 2014.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.

Read the rest of this entry

Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May.21) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

Photo: Harry How, Getty Images

Photo: Harry How, Getty Images

Jered Weaver threw a complete game 2 hitter, let up one run on a solo shot and picked off a runner at first in the 9th to give the Angels a 2-1 win over the Astros.

Kyle Lohse went 8 strong, letting up just 1 run, striking out 8 and walking no Braves as the Brewers took the showdown between first place clubs, 6-1.

Edwin Encarnacion had another 2 homer day, driving in 3 and pushing the Blue Jays past the Red Sox, 6-4, and into a first place tie.

Marcell Ozuna hit a grand slam and drove in a fifth run, getting on base 3 times in the Marlins 14-5 drubbing of the Phillies.

They owned baseball on May.21, 2014.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.

Read the rest of this entry

Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May.20) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

Charles LeClaire, USA TODAY Sports

Charles LeClaire, USA TODAY Sports

Chris Davis clobbered 3 homers, collected another hit, scored 4 runs and drove in 5, leading the Orioles to a 9-2 blowout in Pittsburgh.

Denard Span went 5 for 5 with a pair of doubles, two runs batted in and a stolen base as the Nationals beat the Reds, 9-4.

Hisashi Iwakuma gave the Mariners 8 strong innings with 6 hits and 2 earned runs, earning the 6-2 victory in Texas.

In a night of multiple complete game shutouts,Julio Teheran gets the nod, holding the first place Brewers scoreless and giving the Braves a memorable 5-0 six hit triumph.

They owned baseball on May.20, 2014.

Why Julio Teheran and NOT Adam Wainwright? Listen to today’s The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.

Read the rest of this entry

Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May.19) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

Chuck Crow - The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Chuck Crow – The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Michael Brantley got on base 4 times and launched a walk off, bottom of the 10th home run to give the Indians a 5-4 win over the Tigers.

Dallas Keuchel threw a shutout into the 9th before needing some help to finish the game. He ended up with 8 2/3 innings, 5 hits, 2 runs, 8 strikeouts and walked just one Angel, earning the 5-2 victory for the Astros.

Jason Heyward got on base 4 times, stole a pair and scored in two of the Braves rallies as they topped the Brewers 9-3.

Mike Leake pitched into the 7th inning, finishing with 6 2/3 innings of 1 run ball. He did not get the decision but helped set up the Reds’ extra inning 4-3 win over Washington.

They owned baseball on May.19, 2014.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.

Read the rest of this entry

Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May.18) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

Ryan Vogelsong threw 7 shutout innings, letting up just 5 hits and 1 walk as the Giants beat the Marlins, 4-1.

Felix Hernandez gave the Mariners 8 innings, giving up 2 runs and earning the 6-2 win in Minnesota.

Freddie Freeman went 3-3 with a homer and a 9th inning lead off single that sparked the come from behind rally for the Braves who topped the Cardinals 6-5.

Alex Gordon went 4-4 with a pair of homers and 6 runs batted in, powering the Royals past the Orioles, 8-6.

They owned baseball on May.18, 2014.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.

Read the rest of this entry

Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May.17) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

JAMIE SQUIRE/GETTY IMAGES

JAMIE SQUIRE/GETTY IMAGES

Danny Duffy retired the first 20 Orioles he faced and threw into the 8th letting up only 2 hits. He got the decision in the dramatic 1-0 Kansas City win.

Brandon Moss hit a 3 run homer to give the A’s a lead and wipe away the bad taste of an unwarranted ejection of their starting pitcher. Oakland would beat Cleveland, 6-2.

Edwin Jackson pitched 7 shutout innings, letting up just 4 hits and one walk while striking out 11 Brewers, getting the 3-0 win for the Cubs.

Paul Goldschmidt launched a pair of homers, a pair of homers and got on base 5 times, driving in 6, powering the Diamondbacks past the Dodgers, 18-7.

They owned baseball on May.17, 2014.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.

Read the rest of this entry

Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May.16) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

Tony Dejak, Associated Press

Tony Dejak, Associated Press

Josh Reddick continues to be inspired by Careless Whisper. He homered twice, including a grand slam, and drove in 6 runs, leading the A’s to an 11-1 blow out in Cleveland.

Christian Yelich got on base 3 times, homered, stole a base and scored the go ahead run in the 9th as the Marlins held on in San Francisco, 7-5.

Chris Tillman kept the Orioles in first place with a complete game 5 hit shutout, walking just 1, beating the Royals, 4-0.

Jorge De La Rosa threw 7 innings of 1 hit, shutout ball in Coors Field, no easy feat. He got the decision in the Rockies 3-1 win against the Padres.

They owned baseball on May.16, 2014.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.

Read the rest of this entry

Seattle Mariners State Of The Union For 2014 Part 2 – The Hitters:

All of the baseball world in the PAC NW will want to see nothing but great production from Cano in Seattle.  He may have a great year with the new club, however the management has not armed him with many dependable offensive talents.  I fully expect the Second Baseman to hit .300/.400./.500 this season, but I think his HRs will be in the low 20's (if not teens,) and his Doubles will be high.  I am not sure he will crack 100 RBI either.  Get used to it Cano.  This is the 1st season of a 10 YR/$240 MIL deal

All of the baseball world in the PAC NW will want to see nothing but great production from Cano in Seattle. He may have a great year with the new club, however the management has not armed him with many dependable offensive talents. I fully expect the Second Baseman to hit .300/.400./.500 this season, but I think his HRs will be in the low 20’s (if not teens,) and his Doubles will be high. I am not sure he will crack 100 RBI either. Get used to it Cano. This is the 1st season of a 10 YR/$240 MIL deal.  He has a career 3 slash of .309/.355/.504, but you can bet he will be walked a ton this year as opposing teams bypass the biggest threat on Seattle’s team.

By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner):

Follow MLB Reports On Twitter

I wonder what was promised to Robinson Cano once he inked that 10 YR/$240 MIL, or he was just so ecstatic about the cash he failed to ask the question.

I am just kidding.  You know I love ya Cano…and that I am a Yankees fan…and bought 20 sets of game tickets at Safeco this year – primarily because you are on the team.

Actually, the 2B stated a few weeks ago that he is not pleased with the state of the current squad.  I can’t say I blame him.

Read the rest of this entry

The Seattle Mariners Payroll In 2014, Organizational Affiliates, Prospects, Depth Charts, (MLB + MiLB)

The Mariners have one of the gem stadiums in all of baseball right now.  It is too bad the team on the field has not been that great - in what has been a brutal decade.  Jack Z.. was just extended for one more year.  While it wasn't exactly a ringing endorsement, the club's youth has finally shown some promise.  The team has a promising amount of young pitchers, good Starting Pitching already in the Majors, and a few positional players that look like they will stay in the bigs.  Of concern is the fact they will lose several veterans in Mike Morse, Kendrys Morales and Raul Ibanez after this year.  That is, unless they decide to trade any of them in the next week.

The Mariners have one of the gem stadiums in all of baseball right now. It is too bad the team on the field has not been that great – in what has been a brutal decade. Jack Z.. was just extended for one more year. While it wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement, the club’s youth has finally shown some promise. The team has a promising amount of young pitchers, good Starting Pitching already in the Majors, and a few positional players that look like they will stay in the bigs. Of concern is the fact they will lose several veterans in Mike Morse, Kendrys Morales and Raul Ibanez after this year. That is, unless they decide to trade any of them in the next week.

By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): and welcome Jeff Kleiner (Salary, Roster and Depth Chart Expert for the MLB) – visit his website  here  

The Mariners were one of the best teams in the Major Leagues when they moved into Safeco Field.

Despite losing Alex Rodriguez, Randy Johnson and Ken GriffeyJR. in successive seasons, the team matched a Major League Record with 116 Wins during the 2001 year.

Ichiro Suzuki admirably took over the reigns as the team leader, and carried the club on his shoulders for the next years.

Lou Pinella was there until 2003 – and was having his team in perennial contention since the 1995 year.

After 2003, the club has been abysmal in the next decade.

The team has had several face lifts, rotation managers – and the attendance has come down for over 3 Million fans per year, and now the can barely draw about 1.5 MIL people.

Seattle is one of the biggest markets in North America, and can totally put forth a winning team – and a high payroll.

For the team to even sign some Free Agents, the young players of the organization have to start playing well and to potential.

Any team with Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma is not that far off from competing.

For a Full 3 year Salary Outlook plus last years Stats for every player in the Mariners Organization click here.

For all 30 teams Organization Lists from the MLB Reports, plus any related Payrolls, Depth Charts, Roster Trees, State Of The Unions click here.

Felix Hernandez Perfect Game Highlights 2012

Read the rest of this entry

30 MLB Team Power Rankings: Week 13

Like us on Facebook here

Monday June.24/2013

EE continues to show his metal this year - by clutching up for 21 HRs thus far .  He has a 3 Slash Line of .274/.355/.900 for the year.  EE had an OPS of 1.326 with 3 HRs and 3 Doubles over the last 6 games.  He was part of key rallies that led to the clubs 6 - 0 week.  Encarnacion is now tied with Miggy Cabrera with 63 HRs since the start of the 2012 year.  He is the MLB Reports hitter of the week!

EE continues to show his metal this year – by clutching up for 21 HRs thus far . He has a 3 Slash Line of .274/.355/.900. EE had an OPS of 1.326 – with 3 HRs and 3 Doubles over the last 6 games, and also scored 7 Runs. He was part of key rallies that led to the clubs 6 – 0 week. The 1B only Struckout 1 time for the 6 Games.  Encarnacion is now tied with Miggy Cabrera with 63 HRs since the start of the 2012 year. He is the MLB Reports hitter of the week!

By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner):

Another Week has come and gone in the MLB.

(MLB Reports) AL Hitter Of The Week –  Edwin Encarnacion (See Picture Above).

Runners up were: Chris Davis (BAL) – (1.357 OPS, with 4 HRs and 10 RBI), Nelson Cruz (TEX) – (.379 BA, 3 HRS and 11 RBI) and Miguel Cabrera (.536 BA, 20 times reached on base in 7 Games, 15 Hits – with 2 HRs and 6 RBI).

(MLB Reports) AL Pitcher Of The Week–  Max Scherzer – who went 2 – 0 with a 2.08 ERA in 2 Game Starts and 16 SO in 13 IP.

Runners Up were: Casey Janssen (1 – 0, with 3 Saves – while only yielding 1 Hit and 1 Walk in 4 IP), Jarrod Parker 2 GS (1 – 0, with a 0.79 WHIP in 14 IP.)

Read the rest of this entry

Mike Carp(e) Diem

Like us on Facebook here

 Wednesday June 19th, 2013

Mike Carp was originally a 9th round pick of the New York Mets out of High School in 2004. He made him Major League debut in 2009 with the Mariners at just 22 Years of Age.

Mike Carp was originally a 9th round pick of the New York Mets out of High School in 2004. He made his Major League debut in 2009 with the Mariners at just 22 Years of Age.  Over the last 4 years. he has hit for a Career 3 Slash Line of .266/.336/.796 in 650 AB.  This is basically a season worth of At-Bats for the man from Long Beach. CA.  With those numbers, the LHB has 26 HRs, 38 Doubles and 96 RBI.  This pickup by the Red Sox may turn out to be a real bargain of the year.

By Ryan Dana (MLB Reports Writer and Red Sox Correspondent): 

I knew I would be devoting an article to this player sooner or later, but what better time than now? From top prospect to not being good enough for The Seattle Mariners 40 man roster, Mike Carp has emerged as a steady contributor to the current 1st place team in the AL East, The Boston Red Sox .

The 6 FT 2, 210 LB OF has been perhaps the most underrated pick up of the past offseason for the Boston Red Sox. At the time there was speculation whether he would even make the team, but questioning his viability as a Major League hitter has been put to rest at this point.

As Spring Training rolled around, the Red Sox were looking for depth at 1st Base behind newly signed Mike Napoli. They got Lyle Overbay into camp to compete for the spot and started giving Daniel Nava reps at the position too.

Then, falling into the Sox laps, came Mike Carp via the Seattle Mariners, the solution to the Red Sox 1B depth. All that was asked in return is the famous ‘PTBNL’ or cash.

Read the rest of this entry

MLB Top Teams 1 – 30 + (Best 200 Stats of 2013)

Like us on Facebook here

Monday May.06/2013

Matt Harvey with his stellar outings so far this season may have just become the New York Mets "ace". Harvey is now 4-0 with a 1.66 ERA. Harvey has pitched 40.1 innings - only given up 21 hits, 12 Walks for a League Leading WHIP of .0818  For his awesome 5 weeks we name him the MLB Reports NL Pitcher Of The Month

Matt Harvey with his stellar outings so far this season – may have just become the New York Mets “ace”. Harvey is now 4-0 with a 1.66 ERA. Harvey has pitched 40.1 innings – only given up 21 hits, 12 Walks for a League Leading WHIP of .0818. For his awesome 5 weeks – we name him the MLB Reports NL Pitcher Of The Month

By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner):

Stats all Prior to May.06th games. 

The time has come for the 1sy May Power Rankings.  There will be one each for May, June, July, August, September – and then a special playoff edition Power Rankings will be done in October.

I will not do a weekly Power Rankings during this weeks, because in essence, these are the weekly rankings done on a much larger scale.

These Reports are done with a heavy thought to how the teams project by the end of the season – along with how the clubs have fared so far.

I will point out who has had great months for the all 30 MLB Teams.  I reward the good performances in these rankings – and leave the poor ones for the Podcasts or future articles. CLICK THE READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON

Read the rest of this entry

MLB Monthly Power Rankings May 2013 (Podcast Version)

Like us on Facebook here

Sunday, May.05/2013

The Triple Play Show will have 5 shows per month.  Each show will be about 1 hour

The Triple Play Show will have 5 shows per month. Each show will be about 1 hour.

By The Big Ticket Show ( AKA Triple Play Podcast on http://www.mlbreports.com)

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner):

One month down in the MLB season and that means it’s time for some Power Rankings! Chuck Booth the czar of MLBreports.com joins us in studio to rank every team from worst to first. Where does your team rank? Read the rest of this entry

The Mariners Are Playing Great Baseball In The Last 2 Weeks

Like us on Facebook here 

Sunday, May 5th, 2013

Dustin Ackley has been hitting the ball with a lot more frequency during the last 2 weeks of play.  Due partly to bad luck and partly to bad at bat’s, Dustin Ackley got off to a 5-for-49 start in 2013. Fast forward to the present, and Dustin Ackley is hitting .255/.290/.314 with a grand slam off of R.A. Dickey on Saturday.

Dustin Ackley has been hitting the ball with a lot more frequency during the last 2 weeks of play. Due partly to bad luck and partly to bad at bat’s, Ackley got off to a 5-for-49 start in 2013. Fast forward to the present, and the Mariners Second Baseman is hitting .255/.290/.314 with a grand slam off of R.A. Dickey on Saturday.  He has hits in 9 of his last 10 games (13 – 36, .361 Batting Average in that time frame – raising him 55 Points overall in his season BA.)

Sam Evans ( Baseball Writer and Marlins, Mariners Correspondent):

Believe it or not, the Mariners are one of the hottest teams in baseball right now. After an ugly 8-15 start to the season, the Mariners have won six out of their last eight games, and are two games in front of the Angels in the A.L. West.

It’s unclear how long the Mariners will be able to continue to play this brand of baseball, but for the time being, Seattle is one of the most fun teams to watch in the Majors.

Thanks to young players like Dustin Ackley and Michael Saunders heating up and Hisashi Iwakuma and others shutting down other teams, the Mariners have become a much more dangerous team to face.

Iwakuma’s great start:

Read the rest of this entry

Seattle Mariners Payroll in 2013: And Contracts Moving Forward

Like us on Facebook here

Tuesday.February.25/2013

The Mariners Payroll in 2013 will be 80+ million dollars.  Sadly enough, the Mariners are still not expected to compete in the American League West.

The Mariners Payroll in 2013 will be 80+ million dollars. Sadly enough, the Mariners are still not expected to compete in the American League West.

By Nicholas Rossoletti (MLB Reports Trade Correspondent):

It has been over ten years since the Seattle Mariners found themselves as participants in the American League playoffs. Over the course of that time, the M’s have had their ups and downs (quite obviously more downs), and they have come close to getting back to the post-season on several occasions. However, the last three years have been frustrating for Mariners’ fans as the team has ended each season in last place in the AL West. Along with the post-season drought, the Mariners have made some poor contractual decisions. This seasons payroll will not be exceptionally high, but Seattle is far from a small market team. One of the benefits of this season is that the Mariners are not flooded with a lot of long term, massive contracts. The future for the Mariners can be bright, but they need to find some talented offensive pieces and a couple of arms to back their superstar ace, Felix Hernandez.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the big deals that make up the top end of the Mariners payroll in 2013. I think most Mariners fans will ultimately be pretty disappointed in which player is following up King Felix on the payroll for the upcoming season.

Mariners 21 Rangers 8 on May.30/2012 Highlights:

Read the rest of this entry

Seattle Mariners Roster in 2013: State Of The Union:

Like us on Facebook here

Thursday, January.31/2013

Felix Hernandez is still the Mariners best player without a doubt. Will he get some help shouldering the load in 2013? Either way, all of baseball should be watching when King Felix pitches, he is a true marvel on the mound.

Felix Hernandez is still the Mariners best player without a doubt. Will he get some help shouldering the load in 2013? Either way, all of baseball should be watching when King Felix pitches, he is a true marvel on the mound.

By Ryan Dana (MLB Reports Intern):

Seattle Mariners fans must be pretty amazing, Felix Hernandez sticking with their team through recent times. The Mariners were established in 1977 and have made the playoffs just 4 times in their history. They were the AL West champs 3 times (’95, ’97, ’01) and winners of the Wild Card once (’00). They have never won a World Series, or even an AL Pennant, and in 2012 they shipped off a fan favorite, Ichiro Suzuki, to the Yankees. The AL West is a tough division. The Rangers and Athletics made the playoffs last year, and the Angels just landed the prize of the off-season in slugger Josh Hamilton. I guess one bright spot is the Astros are moving to the AL West, so the Mariners won’t be rebuilding within the brutal division alone.

The Seattle Mariners hopes and dreams start where they have for years now, on the shoulders of King Felix. Felix Hernandez is no doubt an Ace. He has pitched 200+ innings every year since ’08, and had a sub 4.00 ERA every year since ’07. Hernandez won the AL Cy Young in 2010, and is a perennial contender for the award. Last year the Seattle fireballer threw his first Perfect Game. Hernandez will once again be atop the Mariners rotation, which as of now figures to include Hisashi Iwakuma, Blake Beavan, Erasmo Ramirez, and Hector Noesi.

Hisashi Iwakuma was a pleasant surprise for the Mariners in 2012. He wasn’t a greatly sought after oversees free agent last year, overshadowed greatly by fellow Japanese hurler Yu Darvish, but proved to be a great signing. Iwakuma started 2012 in the bullpen until he later earned a spot in the team’s rotation. Iwakuma managed a very respectable 3.16 ERA in the 125.1 innings he split between the rotation and the pen. This success is part of the reason the Mariners resigned the pitcher to a 2YR/14 Million Dollar deal this past November. He figures to hold down the 2nd spot in the rotation and should do just fine if 2012 was a sign of things to come.

Blake Beavan is still just 23 Years Old, but he already has 41 Major League Starts under his belt which gives the club hope he can hold down the 3rd or 4th slot in the rotation. Beavan clearly has the talent which is what made him a 1st Round draft pick out of high school for the Rangers, and the reason the Mariners made sure he was a part of the package they received in return for Cliff Lee in 2010. Beavan’s 2012 stats won’t impress a lot of people, but they were a good start for a young player like himself to build and improve upon.

Felix Hernandez Highlights:  Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is advised

Read the rest of this entry