Seattle Mariners: Six-man rotation will get the M’s to the playoffs sooner than later
Final Justification for the 6-man rotation
The Seattle Mariners will only have a few instances throughout the season where the numbers line-up against other teams. The Mariners may start 0-6 based on how they match-up. But the second time through the rotation, they could go 4-2 (#1 vs. #2, #2 vs. #3, and so on).
If they sneak a win or two the first time around, then the second pass puts them in a winner’s situation. Momentum is very important to baseball. Building momentum and stealing wins based on rotational match-ups is vital to success.
To ensure that Servais and the Mariners are in the best possible scenario for success, it’s imperative that they get their innings per start among the top teams in MLB. It’s incredible to think that the M’s were seventh, yet they were near the bottom for Earned Run Average (ERA) in the league. Seattle tied for third with most starters that threw 80-100 pitches per outing. For more perspective, the World Series Champion Dodgers didn’t have a starter clear100 pitches during the regular season in 2020.
For this strategy to truly work, the bullpen must stay fresh. Mariners starters have to be effective, and the innings per start must improve from the top to the bottom of the rotation. Keeping a rested bullpen, especially with what Jerry Dipoto did to acquire talent to fill gaps, will go a long way to earning more wins than losses.
Joe Swenson is a lifelong Seattle Sports fan, award-winning playwright, author, director, producer for Broken Arts Entertainment. www.brokenartsentertainment.com