Series Preview: Anaheim Angels @ Seattle Mariners

by Matthew on May 7, 2010 1:00 PM PDT in Seattle Mariners Previews

Seattle: 11-17
Anaheim: 12-18

	MARINERS	Δ Ms	ANGELS	EDGE
HITTING (wOBA)	-36.4 (29th)	-11.6	-16.7 (24th)	Anaheim
FIELDING (?)	18.9 (1st)	0.5	-8.1 (26th)	Seattle
ROTATION (tRA)	-2.0 (19th)	4.1	-15.2 (26th)	Seattle
BULLPEN (tRA)	-7.1 (27th)	-1.5	-5.2 (26th)	Anaheim
OVERALL(RAA)	-26.6 (26th)	-8.5	-45.2 (28th)	SEATTLE

Through 28 games, the Mariners are 13-15. Oh never mind, I was looking at the 2008 Mariners.

The StatCorner numbers (all the non-fielding ones) take a slightly bigger jump this preview because I incorporated the new handed park factors into wOBA and tRA across the site. So now you can take a look back at years past in High Desert for instance and be less impressed by the hitters there.

I don't have much else to write. How many ways can you say this team has played bad? They're not a bad collection of talent, but they're playing like it. We want change, but the best bet for that change is for the players we already have to start playing up to their abilities. It's not bringing in new players.

If anything, I advocate bringing back old players. I remain convinced that this team was at its best in February when the 11-man pitching staff seemed a go, left field was going to be a platoon of Ryan Langerhans and Eric Byrnes, Milton Bradley would get time at DH and there was no Mike Sweeney. That was a roster I thought could win the AL West. I would like to see that roster be given the chance it never got.

Fri May 7, 19:10: Felix Hernandez vs. Jered Weaver

Sat May 8, 18:10: Doug Fister vs. Joe Saunders*

Sun May 9, 13:10: Jason Vargas* vs. Ervin Santana

The Mariners are a ground ball-hitting team and right now they rank dead last in the Major Leagues in BABIP on ground balls. Eventually those are going to start finding some holes, but that predilection for keeping the ball on the ground harms us against pitchers like Jered Weaver and Ervin Santana. They're strikeout pitchers who throw up in the zone. You beat them by punishing them for doing so and hitting balls into the gaps and over the walls.

I don't care how they do it though. Just win. Win more than you lose. Start winning now.

Felix Hernandez

Doug Fister

Jason Vargas

Pitch	%	Sp	K	BB	GB
Fastball	68%	94	75	60	80
Slider	13%	88	75	65	75
Curve	11%	83	55	45	65
Change	8%	87	70	70	80
Overall	--	--	75	65	80

Pitch	%	Sp	K	BB	GB
Fastball	56%	88	20	65	45
Change	23%	81	40	80	60
Curve	10%	75	60	25	80
Sinker	6%	89	45	50	75
Slider	5%	82	50	80	40
Overall	--	--	25	70	55

Pitch	%	Sp	K	BB	GB
Fastball	55%	88	45	40	35
Change	20%	80	80	70	50
Sinker	15%	85	50	40	30
Slider	7%	82	20	25	55
Overall	--	--	55	40	30

Jered Weaver

Joe Saunders

Ervin Santana

Pitch	%	Sp	K	BB	GB
Fastball	45%	90	65	45	20
Change	18%	81	80	80	45
Slider	14%	79	35	25	35
Sinker	13%	89	60	65	20
Curve	10%	74	40	80	30
Overall	--	--	65	65	20

Pitch	%	Sp	K	BB	GB
Fastball	57%	91	55	50	65
Change	19%	82	55	50	45
Curve	13%	77	20	25	35
Sinker	7%	88	30	75	65
Overall	--	--	40	35	65

Pitch	%	Sp	K	BB	GB
Fastball	58%	94	45	60	50
Slider	32%	83	70	55	35
Change	8%	84	40	45	55
Overall	--	--	65	55	35

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Comments

That's what I've read before.

GB pitchers do better against GB hitters, and FB pitchers do better against FB hitters. Kind of like the same-handedness thing. The hitters that have an advantage are of the opposite hitting type, so it seems.

by nathaniel dawson on May 7, 2010 3:42 PM PDT up reply actions

How many homeruns are we going to hit this series?

by Kirk on May 7, 2010 1:09 PM PDT reply actions

Two!

@ERiC_UW

by lailaihei on May 7, 2010 1:12 PM PDT up reply actions

Optimism?

Can we hit NEGATIVE home runs? Is that possible? Like hit a ball so badly we LOSE runs?

by Belom3 on May 7, 2010 2:40 PM PDT up reply actions

Eric Byrnes was running a ~41.7% IFFB rate on batted balls. That's pretty close.

by abender20 on May 7, 2010 2:41 PM PDT up reply actions

Nope, Byrnes is gone.

Wake the hell up Wak!

by ToddK on May 7, 2010 2:41 PM PDT up reply actions

Three

by Dewey N on May 7, 2010 4:06 PM PDT up reply actions

Watch us get swept again.

That would be hilarious.

You're dead to me.

by Goose on May 7, 2010 1:10 PM PDT reply actions

If by hilarious you mean mass suicide inducing then yes, yes it would be.

Everything is Rob Johnson's fault.

by the other side on May 7, 2010 1:14 PM PDT up reply actions

Crap.

Seattle is already the suicide capital of the world on account of all the dreadful rain! What chance do you all you Seattlites have if the M’s get swept again?!

Because we’re rebels. Accurate, intelligent, introspective rebels. And damn proud of it my friend. - CapSea
Preserved In All His Greatness - R.I.P. The Reignman 1989 to 1997

by JLProck on May 7, 2010 2:16 PM PDT up reply actions