Member-only story
First Impressions: 2022 Seattle Mariners
With measured optimism
The Mariners recently had their first day off of the 2022 regular season so I thought I’d break down my first impressions of the team thus far. Although it’s likely I’ll be miserable in a couple weeks given the pain of the past 20+ years. Any optimism may be gone. I’m used to the disappointment.
But for now, I’m hopeful that what I’ve seen from the first few series of the season, including a series win against the AL West favorite Houston Astros, is a sign of improvement and good things to come.
So without further adieu, here are my first impressions — both positive and negative — thus far:
Matt Brash is a stud. The M’s fifth starter may be the best fifth starter in the league. I don’t think that’s hyperbole. He has 11 Ks over 10.2 innings with 7 walks. His fastball is live in the mid to high 90s and he may have the best slider on the team. It dances with velo.
The bullpen is once again the Mariner’s greatest strength. They may have lost Casey Sadler, but the combination of Sewald, Streckenrider, and Castillo at the backend is lethal. Arguably the most exciting, however, is Andres Munoz. He can pump it in at 102 mph. His slider is up there with Brash. Few teams will be able to score on this pen.
