– Last Updated on November 21, 2022 4:49 pm
Mariners 2016 Season Preview
Ready to check out our 2016 Seattle Mariners predictions? Spring Training has already started for some teams – pitchers and catchers have already started reporting in Arizona and Florida – hard to believe.
One team with a ton to prove is the Seattle Mariners – a club that had a lot of sleeper appeal at his time last year but bumbled their way through a disappointing year.
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2016 MLB Team Previews – Seattle Mariners
Change has been the theme for this club during the winter – new GM Jerry Dipoto has completely remade this team and has jettisoned nearly 50% of the product that took to the field last year.
So where do we see the Mariners ending up this year. After all, they do have arguably the best starting pitcher in the AL, they have a former MVP at second base and they have one of the premier power hitters in the game cleaning up.
Will it be enough for Seattle to come out on top in the tough AL East? Let’s take a look.
Mariners American League Pennant Future Odds: 17/1
Mariners 2016 World Series Futures Odds: 35/1
Mariners 2016 Win Total: 83 wins
2016 Mariners Predictions – Projected Lineup:
- LF Nori Aoki (L)
- SS Ketel Marte (S)
- 2B Robinson Cano (L)
- DH Nelson Cruz (R)
- 3B Kyle Seager (L)
- RF Franklin Gutierrez (R)
- 1B Adam Lind (L)
- C Chris Iannetta (R)
- CF Leonys Martin (L)
The Mariners by any standard underachieved last season but on paper should be better this year. Robinson Cano has a miserable start to his season but caught fire at the end of the year. He should be healthy for the first time in over a year which should help.
Nori Aoki is an OK lead-off man and Ketel Marte should benefit from playing almost every day at short – he didn’t really take control of the job until August and batted .283 when he did.
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Newly acquired Adam Lind is an upgrade at first base – he hit .291 last year with the Brewers and Kyle Seager is still seen as the future of this club. He will play everyday at third and bat fifth, behind Nelson Cruz.
Catching looks to be a major issue again for the Mariners heading into the season – Chris Ianetta was signed away from the Angels and given over $4 million despite hitting .188 last year.
The outfield, although they should be decent defensively is also underwhelming in terms of offense.
Simply put the Mariners were not a good run producing team last year and did little to rectify that situation in the offseason.
They took some steps forward but baby steps won’t be enough to contend with the big boys in the Division and in the AL – not even close.
2016 Mariners Predictions – Projected Rotation
- RHP Felix Hernandez
- RHP Hisashi Iwakuma
- LHP Wade Miley
- RHP Taijuan Walker
- LHP James Paxton
Thank goodness for a decent starting rotation! Felix was good, not great last year en route to an 18-9 record. His numbers were pedestrian mostly because of five or so brutal outings.
Other than that he was the ace that every contending team absolutely has to have.
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Hisashi Iwakuma Is a decent #2 – the Mariners are certainly lucky to have him back after almost losing him to the Dodgers. Wade Miley came over from the Red Sox in a trade and Taijuan Walker has the potential to be one of the better #4 starters in the game.
Another youngster James Paxon gives the Mariners even more potential in their rotation. Keep an eye on newcomer Nathan Karns as well. He could surprise.
Seattle has a formidable pitching staff but everything has to go perfectly for this team to make a serious move in the AL West. Pitching does win championships but a team needs a little offense as well.
Unfortunately the Mariners don’t seem to have enough bats to support a pitching staff that on paper looks pretty good.
2016 Mariners Predictions – Projected Bullpen:
- RHP Steve Cishek (Closer)
- LHP Charlie Furbush
- RHP Joaquin Benoit
- RHP Justin De Fratus
- RHP Evan Scribner
- LHP Vidal Nuno
- RHP Ryan Cook
The Mariners owned one of the worst bullpens in the Majors last season – they were in need of a huge makeover and that is precisely what they got – one person will be back from last year’s pen.
Joaquin Benoit from the Padres was the biggest offseason upgrade.
He has an ERA under 2.40 in his last three seasons and Steve Cishek, Justin De Fratus and Evan Scribner were added for depth.
The Mariners will certainly be better in the late innings – there was nowhere to go but up.
2016 Seattle Mariners Predictions:
The Mariners should be a much different team heading into 2016.
They went into the offseason needing to improve a pretty bad team – they did that. But it is hard imagining the Mariners contending in the AL West with the turnover and lack of depth this team has.
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King Felix will be great as usual and Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz will get theirs but the Mariners as a whole look like an average team.
Seattle looks like a third place team in the AL West.
What do you think of our 2016 Seattle Mariners predictions? Comments are welcome below.
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