Every week, PNWS evaluates the Seattle Mariners, whose play is good (stock up) and not so good (stock down), based on their last seven days of performances. Then, we’ll add what insight we can provide or have learned. Here we go looking back at the week of 5/16-5/22.
Eugenio Suarez – After consecutive weeks of featuring on the stock down section, Mr 200 moves to the stock up. This past week, he went 9/28, 7 runs, three doubles, two home runs, 3 RBIs, one walk, and nine strikeouts for a .321 avg. He clobbered his 200th career home run.
Adam Frazier – Another week of Frazier being a positive on a struggling team. This week he went 8/28, 4 runs, one home run, 4 RBIs, two walks, and four strikeouts for a .284 avg. Just keep the hits coming.
Abraham Toro – Prior to going on the 10-day IL for a shoulder sprain, Toro was having a good week, going 5/19, 3 runs, two home runs, 3 RBIs, one walk, and four strikeouts for a .263 avg. He’s been one of the unluckiest hitters to start the year and appeared to be turning it around. Hopefully, this injury doesn’t keep him out longer than the required 10-days. The Seattle Mariners can use all the good hitters it can.
Penn Murfee – The 2018 33rd-round draft choice makes GM Jerry Dipoto and his scouting department look great. This week he went 3.2 innings, walking 2, striking out 5, for a 0 ERA and a .82 WHIP.
Next: Page 2 – The Mixed Bag
Marco Gonzales – Last week, I said depending on how his next start goes, he might be securing his claim as the team’s number two starting pitcher. Well, now I’m saying he’s giving the next player on this list a run for being the team’s number one starter. Pitching six innings, walking 3, striking out 2 for a 1.50 ERA, and a 1.33 WHIP earned him his 4th quality start and 2nd win on the season.
Logan Gilbert – To be the Seattle Mariners ace, you need to produce the goods. Gilbert did his best. Pitching 14 innings, giving up two home runs, walking 4, striking out 13, for a 3.86 ERA and 1.07 WHIP over two starts. While he didn’t get a win in either start, he pitched well enough to pick up two quality starts.
Jesse Winker – Which former Cincinnati player has been better for the Seattle Mariners? That answer will come in another article later this week. For this week, Winker was a bum. Going 5/27, 1 double, 3 RBIs, one walk, and four strikeouts, for a measly .185 avg.
J.P. Crawford – Since Crawford missed a few games due to back spasms, he hasn’t been the same hitter. Maybe his back is still bothering him? Regardless, this past week he went 3/24, 2 runs, one double, one walk, and four strikeouts for a pitiful .125 avg.
Next: Page 3 – Dumpster Fire
Chris Flexen – During the ‘21 season, I gave him the nickname Flexing Flexen. Super original, I know, but he was pitching incredibly well, considering he struggled when he was with the NY Mets before going over to the KBO. Well, this year, he hasn’t been flexing all that much. Over two starts this week, he pitched 9.1 innings, giving up four home runs, walking 5, and striking out 9 for an appalling 7.71 ERA and 2.04 WHIP. The advanced metrics have been calling for a course correction, and it appears it’s happening now.
Andres Munoz – Still a young pitcher who’s learning how to pitch in the big leagues and adjust to pitchers attacking him. His future is still bright. However, this past week ended on a very sour note. Thus making his overall line look bad. Pitching 2.2 innings, giving up one home run, walking 1, striking out 1, earning one hold, and one blown save for a 13.50 ERA and a 2.25 WHIP. After Sunday, it may be some time before he’s given another chance at a save.
Bullpen not named Paul Sewald, Matt Festa, and Murfee – We already talked about Murfee. Paul Sewald did his normal things. It was surprising to see Scott Servais only have Sewald get one out in his appearance on Sunday. Especially when it was a close game. Festa proved me wrong in my belief that all he does is give up runs when he enters a game. At least for one game, he did.
However, the rest of the bullpen was not very good. They didn’t look anything close to the bullpen we saw at the end of the ‘21 season. Definitely not a bullpen that was considered a real strength of the team heading into the ‘22 season. Better days are hopefully ahead for this group. But this once thought of strength might need some work done to it.