Opening week for MLB is officially over. There were huge injuries (Kyle Schwarber and A.J. Pollock), surprise rookies (Trevor Story) and then the usual Seattle Mariners. The lineup is completely different, but the results still seem the same. The Mariners started the season with a hard luck loss, with two costly errors, followed by two big wins against the Texas Rangers, last year’s division winners.
With a winning record and the division lead, fans were feeling good about the changes to the team. Then came the Oakland Athletics. What was thought to be an easy opening weekend for the Mariners turned into a massacre. The A’s swept the Mariners and held the potent offense from the Rangers series to the usual struggling squad that fans have been used to in recent years.
The Mariners sit at 2-4, but the season is long. Even with 156 games left to be played, there were some major things to take away from the first week of Mariners baseball.
5. No Support For Felix
Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY SportsFelix Hernandez has been outstanding to start the season, with a 0.69 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP. In his 13 innings pitched, he has only given up four hits and had 16 strikeouts. Somehow he has a record of 0-1 though, thanks to some costly errors in the opening game of the season and a premature removal by Scott Servais.
4. The AL West Is Up For Grabs
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY SportsThe AL West could be anybody’s this year. The A’s currently lead the division with a 4-3 record. Everyone else in the division, including the Mariners, have four losses. I know it is only a week into the season, but considering the Mariners beat last year’s AL West champs (Rangers) 2-1 in the series and then got swept by the A’s (last place in the AL West in 2015), who knows what will happen in 2016.
3. Infield Shift Has Been Rough
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY SportsThe infield shift has been very prominent in the Mariners defensive strategy so far. It looks like that will continue throughout the season, with Servais recently saying they are sticking with it for the percentages. I think that says it all on how the shift has gone so far. The most telling play was when Robinson Cano had an error when he made a “bad throw” from the outfield grass. Time will tell.
2. It Could Be A Long Season
Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY SportsMariners fans could be in for a long season. That doesn’t necessarily mean it will go badly, but expect the highs and the lows. After winning two of three in Texas, things were looking good for the AL West leading Mariners. Then they proceeded to get swept by the A’s. On top of that, at home they had four runs total in three games and no more than six hits in any game.
1. Servais Is Definitely A Rookie Manager
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY SportsServais is starting to show his inexperience. The shifts have gotten a little out of hand. I understand it on extreme pull hitters, but there are maybe 10 of them in all of the AL. On top of that, in Sunday’s game (which I attended with the wife and kid), Servais proceeded to pull King Felix after he hadn’t given up a run and only three hits with 10 strikeouts in seven innings. There was a large groan from the King’s Court, to put it politely.
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