About two weeks in the past, Kyle Kishimoto wrote a couple of shift within the AL West race because the Astros, who had been trailing the Mariners all 12 months, pulled stage within the division. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t revisit a subject so quickly, particularly as a result of Kyle was himself issuing an replace to his personal earlier appraisal of Seattle’s success. However between Kyle’s two posts, the Mariners blew a 10-game division result in Houston. And within the two weeks since then, effectively on the danger of steering instantly into stereotype, let’s check out a graph.
On the morning of August 5, when Kyle’s second piece ran, the Mariners had been nonetheless really slight favorites to win the AL West. Within the ensuing 15 days, their division title odds dropped by 43.4 proportion factors, to simply 10.8%. Seattle’s odds of constructing the playoffs in any style are actually simply 16.4%, which is down 41.6 factors. Solely three different groups have seen their playoff odds transfer even 20 factors in both route in that point. One is the Padres. The opposite two are the Astros and Royals, two of the foremost beneficiaries of the Mariners’ ongoing slide.
The Mariners are behaving in such a fashion that I’m going to have a stroke restraining myself from peppering this whole publish with nautical idioms. The voices in my head are telling me that it wouldn’t be hackneyed to say the Mariners are “taking up water” or “misplaced at sea” or “adrift and rudderless.” These voices are mistaken, however they’re loud.
Each different workforce within the AL playoff bracket had higher hope the Mariners sink. (Sorry, I can’t assist myself.) As a result of in the event that they do handle to limp into the postseason, they’ve one unit that may make them inherently harmful: Their rotation.
In any case this consternation, the Mariners are nonetheless (if solely barely) main the majors in beginning pitcher WAR. In addition they lead all 30 groups in innings pitched by starters, and are second in Ok-BB% and third in ERA-. If you wish to pin this shedding streak on anybody, you possibly can’t blame Seattle’s starters.
The high-water mark of the Mariners’ season was June 18, once they had been 13 video games over .500 and 10 video games up on each Houston and Texas, who had been tied for second within the division. Since then, Seattle is 20-31, which is the second-worst document in baseball, forward of solely the Chicago White Sox. (The White Sox, God save them, have by some means gained solely 10 of their previous 52 video games.)
Throughout that 20-31 run, Seattle’s beginning pitchers have the third-best ERA- in baseball, the third-best Ok-BB%, and the perfect stroll charge by an infinite margin. Outdoors of Andrés Muñoz, Mariners relievers have been fairly dangerous on mixture; non-Muñoz reduction arms have one save and 6 blown saves of their previous 51 video games, and an ERA of 4.59.
Now, six blown saves (9 together with Muñoz’s efforts) in two months doesn’t clarify every part that’s gone mistaken in Seattle. For that, it’s important to flip your consideration to the offense: .206/.299/.355 since June 19. That’s a WRC+ of 93, which is by some means nonetheless 20 factors higher than Chicago’s however — extra related to this challenge — 20 factors worse than Houston’s.
Worse than that, Seattle’s offense has been streaky and dangerous in massive moments. Mariners hitters have the second-lowest WPA since June 19, greater than a run worse than anybody aside from the White Sox. Over their previous 51 video games, the Mariners have scored two or fewer runs 23 occasions, which is tied for second most within the league. They’ve been held to 1 run or much less 13 occasions, which is greater than the Royals and Astros put collectively, and Seattle is — as you may think — 0-13 in these contests. The Mariners have been goose-egged as many occasions prior to now two months because the Phillies have prior to now 12.
I didn’t imply to spend this a lot house ragging on the Mariners’ offense — or to be extra correct, their paucity thereof. However it is very important underscore that in an age the place bullpen video games are extremely frequent within the playoffs, a workforce with 5 superb beginning pitchers is trending towards being disregarded of the postseason altogether.
Think about the next inhabitants of gamers: Pitchers who’ve thrown 50 or extra innings as starters this season and are at present (i.e. per RosterResource) within the beginning rotation of an American League workforce with at the very least a ten% probability of constructing the playoffs, in line with our playoff odds. This isn’t the total record of potential playoff starters; the Guardians, as an example, have solely two gamers on this record and are completely going to the postseason. Gavin Williams fell simply outdoors the innings cutoff, however you’d higher consider that he’ll make a playoff begin for Cleveland if he’s wholesome. The arbitrary endpoints have to finish up someplace.
However the 36 (it was 37, however Zach Eflin went on the IL whereas I used to be writing) who match these standards are consultant of the pitchers who would make the begins within the AL postseason bracket this coming October. You possibly can provide you with your individual record of the place every of the Mariners’ 5 beginning pitchers would find yourself in a fantasy draft of accessible rotation choices for the AL playoffs, however right here’s the place they rank amongst these 36 starters.
Mariners Pitcher Ranks Amongst AL Playoff Starters
Presently within the rotation for an AL workforce with >10% playoff odds, minimal 50 IP (36 pitchers whole)
One factor that’s change into an actual drag about working in baseball over the previous few years is how shortly the function of the beginning pitcher has modified, particularly within the context of the playoffs. A lot has modified so shortly that almost all followers, and even most generalist sportswriters, don’t recognize how uncommon it’s for a workforce to place collectively a whole five-man rotation of beginning pitchers who can flip over a lineup greater than twice in a playoff sport. After which to maintain such a rotation wholesome over the course of the season.
Final season, all 4 groups who performed a best-of-seven sequence had at the very least one bullpen sport within the postseason. (I suppose we will argue concerning the Astros in Recreation 4 of the ALCS, the place José Urquidy was pulled within the third after permitting three straight baserunners, and Hunter Brown threw three scoreless innings in reduction. Does that rely as a bullpen sport or did Urquidy simply get knocked out early?) Three of these groups — the Astros, Phillies, and Rangers — spent extra on their prime three starters than the A’s spent on their whole 26-man roster. They usually nonetheless discovered themselves wanting reliable beginning pitchers.
Constructing a rotation just like the one the Mariners have is arguably tougher than making the playoffs. Absolutely fewer groups will accomplish the previous feat than the latter this season. So in the event that they do find yourself lacking the postseason after constructing probably the most tough a part of a postseason-worthy roster, that’d be astonishing. A workforce with a rotation this good should be (winces) unsinkable.
