Seattle Mariners Starting Rotation Projections Released
Projections for the Seattle Mariners starting rotation have been released by one of the top fantasy baseball sites. The Mariners bring back most of the 2017 rotation for the 2018 MLB season, which has caused a number of baseball experts to question the front office in Seattle. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Mariners fans have wanted the team to add a big-name starting pitcher this offseason, but it still hasn’t happened. The available arms took a hit when Yu Darvish signed with the Chicago Cubs as well.
A new report by FantasyPros breaks down player statistical projections for the 2018 MLB season. This includes stat projections for every pitcher who might appear on the mound for the Seattle Mariners. The overall numbers aren’t exactly flattering when it comes to the Mariners’ starting rotation. Listed below, the projections work out to 168 total starts, suggesting one or more of the players may not finish the season with the Mariners.
Projected Seattle Mariners 2018 Stats
Mike Leake: 31 starts, 180 innings, 4.37 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 11-11 record.
James Paxton: 27 starts, 159 innings, 3.38 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 12-8 record.
Felix Hernandez: 27 starts, 147 innings, 4.32 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 9-9 record.
Erasmo Ramirez: 20 starts, 121 innings, 4.54 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 6-8 record.
Ariel Miranda: 20 starts, 108 innings, 5.26 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 5-8 record.
Marco Gonzales: 14 starts (27 games), 104 innings, 4.39 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 6-6 record.
Andrew Moore: 12 starts, 62 innings, 5.01 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 3-5 record.
Hisashi Iwakuma: 11 starts, 49 innings, 4.71 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 3-3 record.
Christian Bergman: six starts, 32 innings, 5.67 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 2-3 record.
In the countdown to #MarinersST, we’re previewing each position group.
The latest: the catchers. https://t.co/wi68iSY8vG pic.twitter.com/h840Eq7ARH
— Mariners (@Mariners) February 10, 2018
These numbers aren’t exactly flattering for the Seattle Mariners’ starting rotation and they again predict that James Paxton isn’t going to remain healthy for the entire 2018 MLB season. A starting pitcher making all of their starts during a season would register between 32 and 34 times on the mound, depending on where they slot in the rotation. With the expectation that Paxton will be at the front of the rotation in 2018, he should get 33 chances and not just the 27 predicted by Fantasy Pros.
While these are all just projections for the 2018 season, it underscores why fans, analysts, and opposing teams have a lot of questions about the Seattle Mariners’ starting rotation. If these Fantasy Pros projections come close to being correct, then the rotation will post an overall losing record this year. That won’t get it done in the ever-improving American League West, especially with the improvements that the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels have already made this offseason.
