2015 Seattle Mariners season preview

Finally, here we are. Entering year seven of the Jack Zduriencik regime, the Seattle Mariners appear poised to make the playoffs for the first time since 2001. With national expectations through the roof, for once the idea of the Mariners playing for all the marbles doesn't seem like a dream, but a reality. How will the Mariners handle the high expectations? Let's examine in our comprehensive 2015 season preview.

The Lineup

By Scott Weber

This year, it's about balance. After reaching out and splashing on slugger Nelson Cruz on a four-year contract, finally securing the right-handed power bat the Mariners have desired for so long, the M's filled out the rest of the roster with quality, but limited players. Cruz represented the lone major splash of the offseason, but platoons are emerging in the corner outfield spots, as the Mariners nabbed Seth Smith and Justin Ruggiano in a pair of trades, along with veteran Rickie Weeks on a one-year deal.

Even though the Mariners bought high on Cruz following a 40-homer career year, he's destined to provide a massive upgrade at the DH position one way or another. The 2014 Mariners were a disaster at DH, as both Corey Hart and Kendrys Morales combined for a whopping -3.2 WAR at the position. Even if there are concerns about the last few years of the Cruz deal, and rightfully so -- it shouldn't be much of an issue in 2015, the year of the push.

USA TODAY Sports

While Austin Jackson attempts to bounce back, he'll resume duties as both the leadoff hitter and the everyday center fielder. After a miserable second half in 2014, Jackson spoke extensively about how he struggled with being unexpectedly dealt from the Tigers, as well as adjusting to the more grueling travel that takes place in the Pacific Northwest. Jackson remains a wild card -- firmly in his prime, Jackson has seen his career slowly trail south. His production is a big key to the Mariners roster.

The corner outfield spots are a pair of platoons, starting with the aforementioned Seth Smith/Justin Ruggiano pairing in right field. Though both players are 32, there hasn't been a sign of decline from either quite yet, and the Mariners will hope that by protecting them against their respective weaknesses -- Smith versus lefties and Ruggiano versus righties -- the two will be able to combine for 2-4 WAR from the position. If that's the case, the Mariners will have equaled or exceeded what they could have hoped to receive from oft-injured and unceremoniously departed Michael Saunders.

Left field appeared to belong to Dustin Ackley, who once again teased with a second half surge, though this was more convincing than past ones. But a late signing of Rickie Weeks threw a wrinkle into that plan, and all indications are that Weeks, who has never played a professional inning in the outfield, will now start sharing left field with Ackley. Weeks will face off against lefties, while Ackley will retain the majority of the at-bats against right-handed pitching.

Weeks may also see some action at first base, where he'll backup and occasionally platoon with another player with a late 2014 surge, Logan Morrison. Injuries have been a massive issue for LoMo over his career, but his production when healthy is promising. Justin Smoak is finally out of the Mariners organization, leaving Morrison as the clear man for the job as long as he stays healthy and productive. Jesus Montero, down 40 pounds and looking surprisingly agile at first base, looms as a lottery ticket in AAA.

Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager anchor the rest of the infield, now both nine-figure men after Seager inked a $100 million extension that will keep him in Seattle through at least 2021. Cano, only one year into his ridiculous 10 year, $240 million contract, should continue producing at an all-star level. Both players surpassed 5 WAR for the Mariners in 2014, and they represent the very best second and third base combination in baseball.

Shortstop was a battle between Brad Miller and Chris Taylor before a broken wrist eliminated the latter from the competition, at least for now. Miller will open as the every day shortstop, attempting to put it together early after a disastrous start to 2014. As a left-handed middle infielder with serious pop, Miller has as much upside as anybody on the Mariners roster, but has struggled mightily with slumps, and mental mistakes in the field remain an issue.

Finally, catcher belongs to Mike Zunino, who provides tremendous value with the glove. His prodigious power offers plenty of offensive upside, but Zunino has a major problem with plate discipline, walking a mere 3.3% last year while whiffing an astounding 33.2% of the time. If Zunino wasn't hit by 17 pitches -- the same amount of walks he took -- his OBP would have been an even bigger disaster than the .254 OBP he logged. Still, Zunino is off to a promising spring with only one strikeout in 14 AB. His power will always make him a danger at the plate, but his talent in calling a game and framing pitches will forever remain his biggest asset to the team.

All together, the Mariners lineup looks surprisingly complete. There are question marks, but they are much smaller than the anemic offenses of years past. A 3-4-5 of Cano, Cruz, and Seager is a formidable group. After scoring more runs each progressive year after 2010, this may be the year the Mariners finally break out and crack 700 runs.

The Rotation

By Jake Mailhot

Last year, the Mariners’ starting rotation ended up carrying the team to within one game of the playoffs. In the American League, the Mariners ranked 4th in ERA-, 6th in xFIP-, but 11th in FIP-. However, that last mark is a bit misleading. Heading into September, the Mariners were ranked 5th in FIP- and looked to be surging forward in the Wild Card race. But down the stretch, the rotation faltered and the rest is history.

This year, the main cast of the rotation is back with a few key additions, and like last year, this group will hold the key to the Mariners’ success.

It all starts with the King, Felix Hernandez. Last year may have been his best year yet—he set career bests in strikeouts, walk rate, ERA, FIP, and xFIP. Felix will turn 29 in April and has been the picture of durability in his ten year career with the Mariners. It may seem silly to expect him to continue to improve upon his already ridiculous numbers, and we may see some regression back toward the mean, but he should continue to set the standard for excellence in the American League.

USA TODAY Sports

The hidden secret to the Mariners’ pitching success lies in Felix’s shadow. Over the last two years, Hisashi Iwakuma has emerged as one of the best pitchers in the majors, yet few seem to notice outside of Seattle. Iwakuma’s 3.08 xFIP over the last two years is good for the 11th best mark in the majors, sandwiched between Zack Greinke and Max Scherzer. Despite improvements to his peripheral numbers across the board, and a FIP to match, a late season swoon showed us the ugly side of what could be. He will turn 34 in April and will be a free agent at the end of the year. Barring any late season fatigue, Iwakuma should continue to be one of the best #2 starters in the American League.

The shadow of injury hangs over James Paxton, but when he was on the mound, he was able to show us what he’s capable of during the last two months of the season last year. It seems like he discovered the secret of the "rising" fastball, generating a surprising amount of groundballs with it. This, combined with his whiff-inducing secondary pitches, made him incredibly successful down the stretch last year. He won’t be as lucky this year—he only gave up a single home run after returning from his injury—but he should continue to build upon the success he found last year and will be an integral part of the Mariners’ rotation.

The newest member of the Mariners’ rotation, J.A. Happ, should benefit immensely from the confines of Safeco Field. An increasing fastball velocity throughout his career and a career low walk rate last year gives Happ some allure as a breakout candidate. More likely is a solidly average performance over 150-175 innings at the back of the rotation. That’s a valuable thing in an increasingly volatile pitching era.

The fifth spot in the rotation will be decided during Spring Training. Roenis Elias was able to make the leap from Double-A to the majors last year and was surprisingly competent. The challenger is the young phenom, Taijuan Walker. I expect both pitchers to see time with the major league club this year so the winner of the Spring Training battle doesn’t really matter all too much. Of the two, Walker clearly has the higher upside. If he’s able to harness his raw stuff, his secondary pitches, and his command, he should be a force to be reckoned with. Even if he’s only able to accomplish one or two of those things, he should be a positive contributor with all the ups and downs expected of a rookie 22-year-old in the majors.

The lack of depth behind these six starters is a bit concerning. If things go south, there aren’t many reinforcements waiting in Triple-A. Erasmo Ramirez will probably be a waiver casualty this spring which leaves Kevin Correia, Mike Kickham, and possibly Joe Saunders to pick up the pieces. That’s not an inspiring bunch.

The best case scenario sees the rotation leading the Mariners into October, with King Felix leading the charge. Injuries will occur, but if the Mariners can avoid any major, season ending injuries or a rash of injuries all at once, this group should be able carry this team all the way.

The Bullpen

By Andrew Rice

The Bench

By Colin O'Keefe

The Mariners began the 2014 offseason with one clear goal: to add a premier right-handed bat to the heart of their order. When that was accomplished relatively early, with the big deal for Nelson Cruz, there were no more huge holes to fill. It wasn’t a perfect team, and still isn’t, but there were no clear and obvious upgrades.

So the team turned to improvement by way of depth. A trade of outfielder Michael Saunders to Toronto for veteran lefty J.A. Happ—one many suspect happened due to more than on-field reasons—began them down the improve-through-depth route and, by opening up a hole in the outfield, set the stage for putting the finishing touches on the team and this bench.

First off, outfielder Justin Ruggiano was acquired from the Chicago Cubs for minor league reliever Matt Brazis, a player unfamiliar to nearly all Mariners fans. At a cost only marginally above "nothing" to a contending team, the Mariners receive a right-handed outfield bat who boasts a career 128 wRC+ against lefties and can back up center field in a pinch.

While Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon is loathe to label it as such, Ruggiano will primarily operate in a platoon with lefty Seth Smith, who the Mariners acquired for starter-prospect-turned-relief-ace Brandon Maurer. The Mariners hope, between the two, they’ll have built the plus-hitting defensively-decent corner outfielder they’ve needed for years—and for cheap.

And right field won’t be the only place where the Mariners utilize a platoon. Despite having a 25-man roster nearly set, they added former all-star Rickie Weeks to the mix. Seattle is about as set as any team could be at second base, so Weeks is headed to the outfield, where he’ll platoon with Dustin Ackley to form a due of two second baseman each, once upon a time, drafted second overall by Jack Zduriencik.

Getty Sports

But while many fans would love to see Ackley prove he doesn’t need a platoon-mate, he’s not the only one in this pair capable of battling for a full-time gig. Weeks has a track record, balanced approach, Safeco-conquering power and, at age 32, an opportunity to redefine himself as his career enters its second act.

After the platoons, the bench gets progressively more questionable.

In an era where catcher defense is all the rage for the league’s progressive organizations, the Mariners are going all-in on the notion with backup Jesus Sucre. A plus receiver and thrower behind he dish, he’s effectively a pitcher when standing beside it. After replacing John Buck with Sucre halfway through last season, the team’s hesitation to go with an offense-first backup who can’t hit enough to start is understandable—but with starter Mike Zunino still finding his way at this level, catcher is a position to watch.

Finally, there’s Willie Bloomquist. While the Mariners’ optimal roster construction would’ve seen them give the utility infielder bench spot to the loser of the Brad Miller v. Chris Taylor shortstop battle that a.) was probably never going to happen and b.) can’t now after a wrist injury sidelined Taylor through April. So the spot's Willie’s to do with what he will—hopefully, that miraculously includes capable shortstop defense after microfracture surgery.

In summary, it isn’t a perfect bench, but it’s a good one. For a team that’s long filled out theirs with guys who should’ve been in triple-A and vets who couldn’t play, it’s a nice step forward.

National Perception

By Peter Woodburn

It is an odd feeling for many Mariners’ fans out there. For the first time in a long while, we are expected to be good. How good? Pretty damn good, actually.

Of course, there is a lot that can go wrong, but that is baseball. So who cares about what can go wrong? Let’s focus on what will go right and how the Mariners will fulfill the lofty expectations the national media has projected.

The power rankings are extra excited about the Mariners. Sports Illustrated ranked Seattle No. 4. David Schoenfield of ESPN put the Mariners at No. 6. Business Insider placed the Mariners at No. 3! The verdict is in across the nation -- this is the year the Mariners are finally back in the playoff fold.

USA TODAY Sports

The Mariners were one game back from the playoffs last season. This season, it appears to be a forgone conclusion the Mariners will make the playoffs. The real question is how far will they advance? According to FanGraphs, the Mariners have the highest odds at making the playoffs at 68.9 percent. They also have the highest odds in the AL at winning the World Series at 9.6 percent.

Vegas mirrors much of FanGraphs’ enthusiasm. The Mariners are tied with the Los Angeles Angels to go the whole way, according to Bovada. Both teams have 14/1 odds to win the 2015 World Series, behind the Nationals, Dodgers, Red Sox and Cardinals.

The AL West isn’t exactly going to be a pushover. The Astros and the Rangers are, well, members of the division. No one knows how the Athletics will perform except for Billy Beane, and usually that means surprisingly well. Everyone expects the fight for the top to involve the Angels and the Mariners. FanGraphs' projected 2015 standings give us an ever-so-slight edge, pegging Seattle to finish the season 87-75 and the Angels one game back at 86-76. We’ll have the third best run differential in the game, behind the Nationals and Dodgers. The offense will be middle of the pack, averaging 4.12 runs per game, but the Mariners will be top-notch on the other half of the inning, giving up 3.77 runs per game, good for sixth best in the league.

Last season, the Mariners opened the year ranked No. 24 in ESPN’s power rankings. They finished the season one game out of the playoffs and ranked No. 11. This season, the entire storyline that we have gotten accustomed to is flipped, and that weird feeling that we are supposed to be good is a beautiful thing.

If it all goes wrong

By Nathan Bishop

I am looking at stars. I’m on my back and gazing at those amazing points of light. I ponder their age, the distance and eons that light has traversed to reach my eyes at this exact moment. The connection felt from this perspective is great. My soul hums and quivers across the taught string of time. I am in tune with the universe, or at least more so than I typically am. I ponder that those stars, so beautiful from a distance, are massive balls of super hot fire and death on a scale I cannot possibly grasp. The thought makes me think of the 2015 Mariners.

I am brought out of the harmony, the horrific and tragic events of the past six months laid out before my mind fresh. Damn you Mariners.

When viewed through the illusory qualities of history the season made perfect sense. Everyone knew the Nelson Cruz signing was flawed and contained inherent risks. Of course he was a bad fit for Safeco. Of course his age was advancing to the precarious stage of any player, let alone power only designated hitters. It goes without saying that nagging knee and back injuries would limit him to 97 games. I can’t imagine how we ever thought he would hit more than the 17 home runs he finished the years with.

Robinson Cano was steady but his batting average slipped to .297, the home runs and doubles remained disconcertingly low and you could begin to see the threads fray on his magical Sweater of Impeccable Defense. We have gotten through the best 20% of the Robinson Cano contract. We can all hope the decline is slow, but it’s here.

All across the board it seemed MLB spent the entire season exploiting any and all weaknesses Mariner hitters contained. Brad Miller and Chris Taylor provided 600 AB of barely replacement level offense, Miller’s defensive woes escalating to the point where he spent August in Tacoma only to be called up to the bench all September. Toss Brad Miller into the Sarlaac Pit with Dustin Ackley, Jeremy Reed, and so many others. Ultimately it appears we are the ones destined for a thousand years of endless suffering.

Getty Sports

As for pitching? Ha we are such damn fools. We talked ourselves into Hisashi Iwakuma’s 2014 swoon being a blip, rather than the beginning of the end.  2014 was Fernando Rodney jumping his motorcycle over car after car after car. In 2015 he crashed and we watched that crash roll and roll and roll annnnnnd rolllllllllll. Rodney finally lost the closer spot to Carson Smith in early August after the debacle against the White Sox at Comiskey. He is yet another reminder of the fickleness of closers.

The hyped pair of Taijuan Walker and James Paxton predictably battled inconsistency and injury, respectively. There is maybe no more appropriate metaphor for the season than Paxton missing a month and a half when that elevator in the Space Needle broke and he concussed himself in the ensuing panic. Like the Mariners, the Space Needle is massively hyped and ultimately overpriced and disappointing.

Last and worst the words I can barely type. We approach that exploding star and feel it boil and burn our very soul. It’s not beautiful at all. It’s just fire. Felix said it was just soreness. And that’s all it was at first. It was just a missed start, taking advantage of an off day to rest. Then he "couldn’t get loose." He had an MRI. The news came and none of us really know what to do. We’ve had so little to cheer for over the years. But the one thing we could cling to was Felix. Now? We have no idea.

2015 saw the Mariner lose and lose badly. They have lost badly  before of course but never when they were expected to do so well. The season was fire. It burned everything it touched. It burned our dreams, it burned the Summer, and it burned our King. It all looked so beautiful from a distance.