Seattle Mariners 2021 Grades: Part 6 – Manager and Coaches
Chris Phillips
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Hitting Coach – Tim Laker
Early in the season, I shared my thoughts on Tim Laker. While I still stand behind my initial statements, I have to give credit where credit is due. After Laker read my article, the team turned around their hitting. Ok, so that’s not all true. I doubt he read it.
When that article came out in May, Seattle was hitting .179. The Mariners rebounded to hit .245 in June, then dipped to .227 in July. From then on, the team’s overall batting average got better as the year went on. Increasing to .231 in August and then .239 in September and October.
So, while the team struggled early, their hitting continued to get better under Laker’s tutelage. Due to the team’s hitting progress to finish the year, Laker receives a grade of C-.
Consequently, he will not return to the Seattle Mariners. Tony Arnerich takes over as the M’s hitting coach in 2022.
Pitching Coach – Pete Woodworth
If Laker’s coaching showed progress, Pete Woodworth’s showed consistency. Unfortunately, that consistency wasn’t particularly good. The Seattle Mariners finished the year with a team ERA of 4.30, which was good enough for 16th in the MLB.
The pitchers made progress as the year went on. With the team ERA sitting at a season-high of 4.89 for May, it trickled all the way down to 3.52 for August. However, when the M’s were making their final playoff push, the team posted a 4.23 ERA in September and October.
A few bright spots in the starting rotation are Chris Flexen, Yusei Kikuchi’s first half, and the development of Logan Gilbert. In the bullpen, look no further than, Graveman, Paul Sewald, and Drew Steckenrider. The dark spots were Montero, Kikuchi’s second-half collapse, and the ineptitude of Justus Sheffield.
Woodworth will return as the Seattle Mariners pitching coach for 2022. However, his 2021 grade is a D+.
If you missed any of the previous parts of this series, please click the link. Part 1 – Infield, Part 2 – Outfield, Part 3 – Catchers, Part 4 – Starting Pitchers, and Part 5 – Relief Pitchers.
How would you grade the Seattle Mariners manager and coaches? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.