The Seattle Mariners captivated the entire Northwestern portion of the North American continent last season when they made the postseason for the first time since 2001.
Although they were eliminated in last year's ALCS at the hands of the Houston Astros, who went on to win the World Series, fans in Seattle began to relish the feeling of having a winning team.
While the team has started off the 2023 season with a 20-20 record, many believe that Mariners fans have plenty of reasons to look forward to the future. In a recent appearance on the MLB Network, MLB analyst Jon Morosi claimed that the Seattle Mariners rotation is the best in the league.
"While the @Mariners don't have the best rotation ERA in MLB, I do believe that their current group of 5 is the BEST in the sport at the moment."
While Morosi's claims may be interpreted as controversial, the stats back him up. With a cumulative ERA of 3.30 on the season, the Mariners have the third-best number in the American League.
Luis Castillo has been the best starting arm for the Seattle Mariners so far this season. The 6-foot-2 Dominican has put up a team-best ERA of 2.70 in his sophomore season with the team.
Additionally, 26-year-old Logan Gilbert is following up his breakout season of 2022 with another strong campaign. The 2018 first-round draft pick has an ERA of 3.91 and 54 strikeouts across 46 innings so far this season.
"Seven CONSECUTIVE Ks for Logan Gilbert." - MLB
Ironically, Robbie Ray, who won the 2021 AL Cy Young Award as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, has not had a strong season. The 31-year-old southpaw has battled injury, and allowed three runs over three innings in his only start this season. Fortunately for the Seattle Mariners, other aces have been able to pick up the slack.
The Seattle Mariners are playing the long game
While their pitching corps may not be as flashy as other teams like the New York Mets or Los Angeles Dodgers, the Mariners are finding a way to get it done. Moreover, the relatively young age of the team means that it will be able to leverage the skill that it is showing fans to ensure that fans will not need to go another 22 seasons to see their team take to the field in the postseason.