for the lowly Mariners . Realistically, I don't really expect much this year from this squad. I'll be surprised if they snatch 65 wins. Now for my longtime-fan-I-don't-give-a-shit-I-can-dream expectations I can see this team winning 80 games and possibly 90 if Griffey finds the fountain of youth. I also expect: - Johjima to bounce back from his AA-caliber campaign. - Ichiro should be an automatic 6-10 HRs, 40 RBIs, 110 runs & .300 AVG. - Bedard can't be half as bad as he was last year, so that's a plus. - Felix to win 15 games. If he does that, i'll actually start calling him by his overhyped nickname - Brandon Morrow to develop along nicely this year AS A STARTER. He was an absolute beast in the bullpen but there's no way a guy who can toss 98-99 MPH should be in the bullpen. It just pissed me off how management decided not to develop him as an ace from the get-go (like Lincecum) - to remove Carlos Silva's arrogant 'leader' ass outta Seattle - Beltre to ante up his AVG to .280 - Guiterrez to be a disappointment yet again Most of these probably won't happen but those are just a few things I thought of in a matter of minutes lol. Point is, no one expects us to do much this year, and we probably won't, but if 3/4 those things listed above happen, we got a shot at 85 wins. Our talent gap with the Angels this year widened as they got Abreu, but if Beltre & Lopez can deliver (with Ichiro), we can hold on in there. Last year, Griffey had the worst season aside from his rookie campaign (and even thats debatable), but with surgery on his shoulder and his slight weight loss (atleast he's actually trying now, right?) & workouts, he's still got some left in the tank. They may seem a little high, but I think Griffey can still snatch up 26-32 HRs, 95-100 RBIs, 80-85 runs and a .280 AVG. He was doing fine until he got shipped to the White Sox and then apparently his shoulder got too weak to swing and he lost some bat speed. Now, don't get me wrong, he's obviously not the focal point of the lineup. He'll probably start off 5th or 6th in the lineup but I think he can move up to his traditional 3rd slot if he hits well in April. I still believe in this team and hey, Griffey resurrected Seattle once, he can do it again! cheers.
W00T! Way to dampen my hopes I'm hoping we can find a starting 1B & Clement ends up having a good year and it's a success. Maybe get a chance to see Fields at end of the year in the closing role.
I fully expect Clement to take the job from Johjima unless Johjima roids up or.....decides to spend more time with the hitting coach. on a side note, Griffey with his first HR! he's getting his timing back
Johjima is taking the WBC by storm, I wouldn't give up on him yet....I kinda want Clement to convert to a 1st Basemen.
Anything's better than Branyan or even Sweeney at 1st. btw, i'm glad to see a fellow Mariner fan actually showing some support this year. by my count, that's 2 of us.
btw J_Ray, Whats your prediction for this Mariner's squad. I think if the younger players learned something from last year (not to swing at the damn ball if it's away from the strike zone) and they'll definitely be better this year, garnered by the return of Griffey & lower expectations. HOPEFULLY, we can snatch a wild card spot (which is highly improbable), but our best bet is to win the division...which i definitely don't see happening. I think we win 81 games this year.
85-89 wins. Last season's expectations are gone, meaning the pressure to live up those expectations no longer exist. The starting pitching depth has improved, as well as the talent, with Morrow moving into the rotation. Beltre is entering a contract year, so I expect his HR and OPS to improve noticably, and really help the middle of the lineup. Betancourt, Lopez, and Gutierrez all form a quality defensive presence up the middle. Ichiro can still hit. I don't even expect much from Griffey this season, so if he contributes anything useful that's just icing on the cake. The only probable issue I see is the back end of the bullpen, but if Cordero is healthy and effective, that shouldn't be a huge issue either. Look for the Mariners to contend in the division and possibly win it if the Angels starting pitching continues to hurt.
The starting pitching has always been fairly talented, it's the fact that they can't produce when it really matters. That, and felix being the only one who can last 6+ innings. To be honest, I don't really think that Beltre is gonna be a 35+ HR candidate ever again. His swing has lost some speed and he's become a pull hitter nowadays. If he can get off some good numbers more power to him. As for the Griffey comment, he's still got some left in the tank so it's going to exciting to see what he can do this year. He's got an outside chance at 100 RBIs and 30 HRs.
