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Home  Sports News MLB Baseball News MLB Picks: 2008 Seattle Mariners Predictions (03-03-2008) |
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MLB Picks: 2008 Seattle Mariners Predictions (03-03-2008) |
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Written by DavePrice
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Tuesday, 04 March 2008 |
Manager John McLaren feels his Mariners are ready to compete for the MLB picks division after an 88 win season, but the loss of Jose Guillen could be enough in itself to set them back. Find out if Dave Price is as confident as McLaren in the Mariners’ ability to compete in the west in this 2008 Seattle Mariners MLB picks and predictions article.
Starting Rotation/Bullpen
This staff starts with the talented Felix Hernandez. He has won 26 games the past two seasons and could be ready to join the elite group of pitchers in the AL with a breakout season. Keep in mind that Hernandez turns 22 in April and couple be a staple in the Mariners’ rotation for a long time. Lefthander Jarrod is still the M’s number two, but he has been a disappointment the past couple years with just 18 wins against 29 losses. The Mariners still have faith in him, but will they after another losing season? Miguel Batista won a career high 16 games last season and let’s hope that wasn’t a fluke for the sake of the Mariners. Carlos Silva could end up pitching second or third in the rotation if he has a good spring. He was never exceptional at Minnesota, but Seattle sees potential. Brandon Morrow or Ryan Rowland-Smith will battle for the last spot.
There’s no doubt that J.J. Putz is no putts. He has had 76 saves and a sub-2.00 ERA the past two seasons. Last season he was truly dominant with 40 saves and a 1.38 ERA. Sean Green picked up five wins last season as he developed into the go-to guy in the seventh and eighth. With Mark Lowe healthy, the M’s should have solid pen with a nice mix of situational and long relief guys.
Batting Order
Ichiro Suzuki has been the staple at the top of the Mariners’ order for years now. We’ve come to expect him to compete for the AL batting title every year, steal around 40 bases, score over 100 runs, and play a strong centerfield. Jose Vidro will hit behind Ichiro in the DH spot. He isn’t your typical AL DH, but has shown the ability to get on base at a near .400 clip in the AL. It must be the rain because Adrian Beltre has seen all of his numbers go up in Seattle. He slugged 26 homeruns and added 99 RBIs and gives me no reason to believe he won’t eclipse both in 2008. Leftfielder Raul Ibanez hit 21 homeruns and tallied 105 RBIs in the clean up spot. Richie Sexson is the wild card in the middle of this order. If he can return to form, the M’s just might be back in the playoffs. Right fielder Adam Jones, catcher Kenji Johjima, shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt, and second baseman Jose Lopez complete the order.
The Mariners are clearly the second-best team in the AL West. They should finish more than 10 games better than both Oakland and Texas. While Seattle is solid and may have a better bullpen that the Angels, its starting rotation won’t be nearly as good and it won’t be able to stack up in terms of power numbers. I think this Seattle team is going to enjoy its time in the sun as the Angels age, but it likely won’t be this year. The AL Wild Card is not completely out of the question, though.
Odds to win AL West: 5/2
Odds to win 2008 AL Pennant: 12/1
Odds to win 2008 World Series: 25/1
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 04 March 2008 )
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