Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais.
The Seattle Mariners are currently sitting at .500 on the young season with a 5-5 record. They recently wrapped up their home-opening series, an intra-division set against the defending division champs from Houston.
Seattle took they took two of three from the defending American League Champions. Some fans might have expected better and questioned the job M’s manager Scott Servais has done to begin the year.
I don’t think so. In fact, I think Servais has done an outstanding job with the Seattle Mariners bullpen. The average use of top relievers is typically 65-80 games. Here is the current pace: (Drew Steckenrider = 64 games, Paul Sewald = 48 games, Andres Munoz = 64 games, Diego Castillo = 64 games, Erik Swanson = 48 games, Matt Festa = 64 games).
The most appearances any M’s reliever has made are four games in the first 10. None of the pitchers listed, except for Festa, have gone back-to-back in 2022. If anything, the starting pitchers all getting into the sixth inning or more has saved the bullpen from overuse this early in the season. Especially in Robbie Ray‘s last start when that outing could have easily overloaded the bullpen.
So far, Servais has managed the Seattle Mariners brilliantly. Sticking Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez at the end of the order is working. Not giving up on Adam Frazier at leadoff paid off outstandingly in the Houston series.
He’s even nailing the right catchers to use for both pitchers and hitting purposes, as well. Servais also moved J.P. Crawford up to take advantage of how hot he’s been. Subsequently, that’s helped turn the line-up over more often.
I’d like to see a little more Dylan Moore, But where and when?
The Mariners just took two of three from Houston against their fifth, first, and second pitchers. M’s fans would take that in any series. Do I wish our road trip had gone better? Yes, but 3-4 on the road against Minnesota (a team that should contend) and the White Sox (definite contenders) are great.
It’s what the M’s do over the next six games against Texas and Kansas City that will show where they are this season. These are critical games against teams they should win.
If the Seattle Mariners do worse than 4-2 against Texas and Kansas City, then there’s cause for concern. They should be able to take advantage of the league’s worst pitching team (Texas, 6.19 ERA) and the fourth-worst (Kansas City, 5.13 ERA) this week. Bringing home runners in scoring position for the Mariners has to be more like what they did at home than what they did on the road.
Seattle’s run differential is +4 early in the season. Much of that is because the Mariners have the sixth-best pitching staff in the majors (3.14 ERA). This includes the sixth-best bullpen (2.48) and a starting staff that averages 5.31 innings per outing.
Or, as I like to call it, #2 in MLB, #1 in the AL. Only the Mets, San Francisco, and San Diego average more than five innings per start.
I view their start as a success. So far, the M’s now have faced the American League Central defending champion, 93-win Chicago White Sox. And a Minnesota team that improved by 11.4 fWAR over last year’s 73-win Twins team that underperformed by most expert accounts.
The three teams the Seattle Mariners have played against so far this season are ranked fourth, eighth, and ninth for starting pitching. The White Sox gave up four or more runs only three times this season, and two of those were to the Mariners.
Houston gave up 11 earned runs in six games coming into the Seattle series, where they gave up 11 runs to the M’s and seven in the finale. Only Minnesota benefited from playing the Mariners. The Twins have also faced the Dodgers and Boston in their other series. And both LA and Boston have dominating offenses.
If we are viewing just the first ten games of the season, then it’s a success for sure. By Sunday, Seattle will have completed 10 percent of the season, and if they’re at 9-7 or better, then I really like where the Seattle Mariners are sitting.
What do you make of the Seattle Mariners’ first 10 games of 2022? Let us know in the comments section below,
Joe Swenson is an author, playwright, screenplay writer, producer, director, etc.