Seattle Mariners 2020 Review/2021 Preview – Starting Pitching
Nick Margevicius, Seattle Mariners.
A Poor Investment
Yusei Kikuchi showed some signs of pitching well for the Mariners. However, most M’s fans would agree they were expecting more out of Kikuchi this year. Unfortunately, his 2020 was about the same as his 2019. The Japanese import finished the season with a 2–4 record and 5.17 ERA in nine starts. In September, Kikuchi showed a glimmer of hope for the future. He posted a 1–2 record with a 4.02 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and .206 BAA.
The only real improvement in his stats was that he gave up only three home runs in 2020. Over 32 starts last year, he gave up 36 long balls.
Kikuchi signed a four-year deal with the Mariners before the 2019 season. He has two more years to become the pitcher the Mariners thought they got after playing in Japan. Depending on how spring training goes, he will probably be the fourth starter in going into the season.
An Unlucky Break
Another of DiPoto’s reclamation projects this year was Kendall Graveman. In 2018, the right-hander had elbow reconstruction surgery and missed the entire 2019 season. He made it through two very dismal starts with the Seattle Mariners before going on the injured list with neck spasms. Upon further examination, it was discovered that Graveman had a benign bone tumor on his spine.
After sitting out a month, Graveman returned to the team in a relief role. He pitched decently out of the bullpen in September. That should be enough to get him an invite to someone’s spring training next year.
The Replacement
Nick Margevicius started the season in the bullpen, but when Graveman went on the injured list, the lefty was promoted to the rotation. To be honest, he was less than stellar in either role. Over seven starts, he was 2-3 with a 4.46 ERA. Margevicius looks to be in the Mariners bullpen next year and make a spot start on occasion. He is only 24 years old, so the future is ahead of him.