Seattle Mariners 2021 Grades: Part 4 – Starting Pitchers
Marco Gonzales
Outlook: B
In 2020 Marco Gonzales finished with the same amount of games won and walks en route to leading the Majors in SO/W (Strikeouts per Walk) ratio at 9.14. Everyone expected the 29-year-old to come out the same as he was in 2020, but that proved to not be the case. Unfortunately, due to injuries, his first half was a slower version of Kikuchi in nearly every way. He turned it around in the second half and was back to his Ace-like self.
Control: C
This is the hallmark of Marco’s game. The first half of the season was an F; the second half was an A. He walked 21 in 56.2 innings before the All-Star break, then walked a paltry 21 in 86.2 innings post-All-Star break.
Dominance: B
No one will confuse Gonzales’ heater with Nolan Ryan’s. In fact, the second half showed that Gonzales is that finesse pitcher who knows the zone and plays chess, not checkers from the mound. He finished the season 10-6, thanks to a 9-1, 2.70 ERA, 0.97 WHIP after the ASG.
Intangibles: B+
Gonzales is the leader of the Mariners’ staff. He’s humble but at the same time is a massive clubhouse presence, and he wants to be that person. Part of being a leader is setting the right example in times of adversity, and he did that.
His second-half performance was absolutely fantastic and one of the best halves of baseball from a starting pitcher in Seattle Mariners history. At least from someone not named Randy Johnson or Felix Hernandez.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hER-eYVA66k