Mariners 2023 Season

Glasgow Seahawk

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Assuming the pitching stays healthy they should be a wild card team. If Kelenic can actually hit like he has in spring then maybe we can take on Houston but I don't think they've got any worse.

Biggest concern for me is shortstop.
 

sutz

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A month or so ago, I predicted a 5 game improvement this season. Given that we only face Houston 13 times this year, I think that is very doable, so 95 wins and a legit shot at winning the division. :)
 

sutz

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Assuming the pitching stays healthy they should be a wild card team. If Kelenic can actually hit like he has in spring then maybe we can take on Houston but I don't think they've got any worse.

Biggest concern for me is shortstop.
People have complained in the past about how Servais "manages" the pitchers, but I think he's done a superb job. Part of that is seeing how the starters last year never missed a turn all season. Pretty good. Probably won't happen again, but that's what they'll try to do.

Frankly, I like the idea of not paying a premium price for a "closer" and using our bullpen based more on matchups and who's "hot" at the time. I think it plays better.

If we improve at the plate, and I think killing the shift will help us as much as anybody in the league, we should be solid contenders this year.

Sadly, JP's health at SS is a bit of a concern. They seem to have plans in place to cover that, though.
 

SoulfishHawk

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A month or so ago, I predicted a 5 game improvement this season. Given that we only face Houston 13 times this year, I think that is very doable, so 95 wins and a legit shot at winning the division. :)
Good point. Astro's have been kryptonite. But, after that playoff series, I guarantee we got their attention. That series easily could have went the other way.
 

sutz

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Good point. Astro's have been kryptonite. But, after that playoff series, I guarantee we got their attention. That series easily could have went the other way.
Yeah, and regardless of what I said, we still have to beat them to really win the division. Wanna be the best, you gotta beat the best. That's all stil true.

What you said is true as well. As Maxwell Smart used to say, "Missed it by that much." :)

200
 

Glasgow Seahawk

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A month or so ago, I predicted a 5 game improvement this season. Given that we only face Houston 13 times this year, I think that is very doable, so 95 wins and a legit shot at winning the division. :)
How did they change the schedule? It is just more balanced? My wife and in laws are Angels fans and I think theres only 2 home series against them this year.
 

SoulfishHawk

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Yeah, and regardless of what I said, we still have to beat them to really win the division. Wanna be the best, you gotta beat the best. That's all stil true.

What you said is true as well. As Maxwell Smart used to say, "Missed it by that much." :)

View attachment 58509
Someday we'll get those guys. 2023 needs to be that year. LFG!!!!!!
 

sutz

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How did they change the schedule? It is just more balanced? My wife and in laws are Angels fans and I think theres only 2 home series against them this year.
@Glasgow Seahawk Basically, they dropped the division head to head games from 19 to 13, and have added series from around the league so that every team will play every other team in the league at least one 3 or 4 game series (I'm not really sure on that on, it may be all of one type - 3 or 4).

Looking forward to fewer games against the Astros. :)
 

SoulfishHawk

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How did they change the schedule? It is just more balanced? My wife and in laws are Angels fans and I think theres only 2 home series against them this year.
Pretty cool set up. They will play against every team in the league at some point this season.

 

Ruminator

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Guess it's been some of the NL East and NL Central teams that M's didn't play against much in prior years. Braves, Mets, Cubs, Brewers, Pirates... that'll be interesting.
 

Sports Hernia

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Still think they are a bat or 2 short. JK might take away one of those “needed bats” IF, he hits like he did in ST. Offensive holes still @ DH and SS, IMHO. I think it’s a big ask to get a productive combination LaStella, Hummel, and Pollock fill that last spot.
 

DJrmb

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Plenty of time to add a bad before the trading deadline mid season.
The problem with that is you then have to trade more of your farm system which you've already taken from recently again and again trying to improve (Castillo trade, Frazier trade, Winker/Suarez trade, Wong trade, Casali trade, Boyd trade, Teoscar Hernandez trade, etc.). They could have signed a top tier bat in the off-season with simply cash, and allowed the farm system to continue building back up instead of positioning themselves to have to draw from it again at the trade deadline. That's what some of us are annoyed with regarding that...

I'd rather see Harry Ford play for the Mariners rather than have to trade him because the front office is being cheap. Not saying that's gonna happen for sure, but they've put themselves in the position where they might have to do just that when they likely could have avoided it all together.
 
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SoulfishHawk

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I wanted them to do more, don't mistake my comment. Hopefully they will.
They really piss me off, year after year with their sitting on their hands. But, I have a very good feeling about this 2023 team.
 
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