Mariners: 10 numbers which tell the story through 25 games

With the Seattle Mariners being inconsistent at best so far in 2022, we break down 10 numbers which help explain their start through 25 games.

Things were looking so good the Seattle Mariners following an 8-4 win over the Rays in Tampa Bay. They were 11-6 and the experts were saying their success was sustainable, giving fans genuine hope this was finally be the year the longest active postseason drought in baseball would end.

Unfortunately for everyone concerned the wheels suddenly fell off, with just one win in the Mariners’ subsequent eight games. Following a series sweep by the Houston Astros, the Mariners now find themselves at 12-13 through 25 games.

For what it’s worth, the Mariners had a not too dissimilar start to last season. They also had a 11-6 record through 17 games in 2021 and then just two wins in the next eight contests, to bring them to 13-12 through 25 games.

Of course, it is appreciated that this will not be of much solace to Mariners fans, who are simultaneously concerned and frustrated. Certainly they deserve better from a ball club which has provided so much heartbreak through the years.

You can make a convincing argument that the Mariners are stronger than last year’s 90-win roster. The starter rotation is better – at least on paper – while the offense has improved from their struggles in 2021.

In fairness, there’s still a very long way to go this season and we will have a better idea of who this Mariners ball club is, once they hit 50 games. For now though, let’s take a look at some of the key numbers which contribute towards telling the story behind their 12-13 start to the 2022 campaign:

0.64

Everyone knew Logan Gilbert was good, but no one expected him to already be pitching at such an elite level. Case in point is his 0.64 ERA through five starts, which is best in the Majors among all pitchers.

Gilbert also has a 4-0 record which is tied for the Major League lead and the Mariners have won all five of his starts. It was no surprise he was named American League pitcher of the month for April, and his ERA of 0.64 represents the lowest in franchise history among pitchers through their first five starts of a season.

4.61

As phenomenal as Gilbert has been so far in 2022, he’s also had to be when considering the Mariners’ starting rotation as a whole. While it is generally agreed this unit is stronger than last year, they are still only ranked 19th in the Majors with a collective ERA of just 4.61.

This understandably filters through to other areas, with the Mariners ranking 18th with a 1.32 WHIP, tied for 20th with a .257 batting average and just 23rd with 705 strikeouts. The rotation undoubtedly needs to start living up to their collective reputation, if the ball club is to be a genuine contender for the postseason.

23

This is the number of games J.P. Crawford has safely reached base for the Mariners, including the first 11 contest of the 2022 season. As a result of this, he isn’t just first in OBP for his ball club, but also second overall in the Majors.

Adding more credence to Crawford’s offensive growth, he is third in the Majors in batting average, 10th in slugging percentage and fourth in OPS. He is even tied for 29th overall with four home runs and — injuries aside — should easily surpass last season’s career-high nine bombs.

21

It’s been said many times by a variety of baseball analysts, but Ty France can flat out just hit. He is tied for fourth in the Majors with 21 RBI, putting him well on course to surpass – obliterate in fact – last year’s career-best 73.

Along these lines, while still early, France is off to a blistering start overall, with a slash line of .333/.402/.515. Over the course of a season, he would set career highs respectively for batting average, OBP and slugging percentage.

.231/.317/.374

The numbers above represent the Mariners’ collective team slash line. Their respective rankings in the Majors are 18th for batting average, 10th for OBP and 16th for slugging percentage.

While these rankings may sound average as a whole, consider that last season the Mariners ranked last in batting average, third-worst in OBP and a lowly 26th in slugging percentage. While you can make the argument they still need another bat, at least they’re headed in the right direction.

9

Julio Rodriguez led the Majors with nine stolen bases during April, which through his first 20 career games was tied for the second-most in franchise history. (Kim Allen leads the way with 10, set in 1980.) His stolen bases have been helped by his blazing speed; according to Statcast sprint speed, he was tied as the second-fastest base runner in the Majors at an average of 30.0 feet per second, trailing only the Houston Astros’ Jose Siri at 30.1.

After a slow offensive start which saw Rodriguez batting just .107 through eight games, he has since recorded hits in 12 of 16 contest and improve his batting average to .230. Combined with his above average/solid play in the outfield (which also continues to improve), the 21-year-old is becoming increasingly comfortable at the Major League level and showing why he has the ceiling of a potential superstar.

.127

At the other end of the spectrum, another budding Mariners’ superstar couldn’t be struggling more on offense. Jarred Kelenic is suffering a bad case of deja vu from last season, with a lowly .127 batting average through 23 games. (In fairness, it is worth mentioning his outfield play has been just fine.)

To really put this into perspective, the 22-year-old’s batting average is second-worst in the Majors among qualifiers, ahead of only Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds at .122. The saving grace is that Kelenic had an even worse batting average of .096 through his first 23 games last year, before rebounding to finish at .181. (Although even better needs to be expected this season.)

9 (again)

It has been hinted at that the Mariners have already made Mitch Haniger a long-term extension offer but he has declined it, instead deciding to gamble on himself and go to free agency. As things stand this is a gamble which could backfire, with him so far limited to nine games in 2022.

There was already concern about Haniger’s durability, with him playing just 473 games out of a possible 810 during his five years in Seattle, including missing the entire 2020 campaign. He needs to return sooner than later and attempt to replicate last season’s career year, to strengthen both his free agency position and the Mariners’ postseason push.

96

The Mariners lead the AL with 96 walks, which are also third-most in the Majors overall. The San Diego Padres lead the way with 107 walks, also through 25 games. (The Arizona Diamondbacks are second in the Majors at 97 walks, having played 26 games.)

From an individual perspective, Jesse Winker is tied for third in the Majors with 18 walks. Crawford and Eugenio Suarez are both second on the Mariners with 12 walks.

1.13

One of the best bullpens in Baseball last season, the Mariners have continued in a similar vein this year, with the seventh-best WHIP in the Majors at 1.13. They are also tied for eighth with a batting average of .214.

As a comparison, last year the Mariners’ bullpen ranked fifth in WHIP at 1.22 and tied for 11th with a .233 batting average. Interestingly, they are tied 11th this season with an ERA of 3.21, while in 2021 they ranked higher at eighth, but with an ERA of 3.88.

All statistics up to and including May 4, 2022.

Which number or numbers in particular stand out to you? Are there any others you would include in terms of their importance for the Mariners? Let us know in the comments section below.