Future #5: The Seattle Mariners

Why they're ranked 5th:

I love the upside here. They have a great combination of electric pitchers and powerful, sweet swinging, bats. My biggest concern is the Safeco effect (it's about as polar opposite of the Coors effect as you can get). The batters will be forced to make adjustments to sacrifice power for contact; if the offense can't get rolling this team is dead in the shallow banks of the AL West. The uncertainty about the offense leaves them in the middle at five, but boy is the ceiling huge.

TEAM: Seattle Mariners

LEAGUE: American League
DIVISION: West

Top Pitching Prospect: Michael Pineda

Top Hitting Prospect: Dustin Ackley

Marquee Player: Felix Hernandez

Ackley

Future Lineup

Lineup Number. Name: Position, Bats- Best Tools

1. Ichiro Suzuki: DH, LH- Defense/Contact/Speed

2. Franklin Gutierrez, RH- Defense/Patience

3. Dustin Ackley: 2B, LH- 5-tools

4. Justin Smoak: 1B, S- Power/Defense

5. Nick Franklin: SS, S- Power

6. Michael Saunders: LF, LH- Power

7. Guillermo Pimentel: RF, RH- Power/Speed

8. Chone Figgins: 3B, S- Patience/Speed

9. Adam Moore: C, RH- Patience/Defense

Future Rotation

Name, Throws

1. Felix Hernandez, RHP

The King

2. Michael Pineda, RHP

3. Taijuan Walker, RHP

4. Mauricio Robles, LHP

5. Blake Beavan, RHP

Closer: Josh Fields

 

Smoak

Overall Evaluation

Areas of Improvement:

They still play in Safeco. It’s the premier pitchers park in the AL, which has sapped a lot of right-handed that has come its way. Edgar Martinez, Jay Buhner, and Bret Boone all managed to make it work, but that was also the height of the steroid era (not insinuating, just making an observation). The bats need to learn to bring the dinger. Human Resources could stand a change in policy; Wakamatsu should still be manager and that’s directly tied to the dealings of the front office.

Outfield:

Michael Saunders has big left-handed power and his swing could hold up well in Safeco. Guti plays the best centerfield in the league, and his patience at the plate makes him a valuable asset. Guillermo Pimentel could profile as a 20-20 player someday.

Infield:

There’s a lot of potential here. Ackley is a 5-tool player with one of the purest swings in the majors. His athleticism gives him a lot of versatility. Nick Franklin (power like Tulo) and Justin Smoak (Mark Teixeira 2.0) have tons of power, and their both switch hitters. Athletically and defensively their sound, with three huge prospects in Franklin, Smoak and Ackley.

Rotation:

Pineda

When pitching at Safeco mediocre pitching can turn in to great pitching. However, that can catch up with you playing away. Luckily, the Mariners have two aces in King Felix and Michael Pineda. Felix has a great build and the purest stuff around, while Pineda (an ace anywhere else) perfectly mixes control with raw electric pitches. 2010 first rounder Taijuan Walker has a huge ceiling.

Intangibles:

Defensively the M’s are one of the best in the AL. They’re strong in fundamentals, and everybody in the infield could be a total vacuum. The outfield is fast and athletic and can cover a lot of ground in wide Safeco.

There’s a lot of offensive potential, and their top two power prospects are switch-hitters. Their lineup could be very versatile and hard to mow through. Dustin Ackley could be competing for a batting title every year and his swing will make him the next great love of Seattle.

The Mariners play in a great pitching ballpark, which is good when you already have fantastic pitching. They also have a lineup that is light in right-handed power, and heavy in switch-hitting and left handed power. Statistically right-handers have not faired as well in Safeco as lefties (when it comes to power).

The front office of the Mariners is a huge asset right now. Jack-Z has worked hard to build a great foundation, and some of his moves have been impressive. He’s a scouting guru and will work hard to keep the farm system well stocked.