Guardians Have Difficult Test Ahead Against Mariners

The Cleveland Guardians are set to face off against the Seattle Mariners who have one of the top pitching rotations in baseball.

Apr 1, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) hits a forced-out RBI against the Seattle Mariners during the third inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports / Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Guardians continue to be one of the top teams in baseball. They own a 44-25 record and are up 5.0 games in the American League Central. However, this early contender is in store for a big test as they prepare to take on the Seattle Mariners this week.

Cleveland last played the Mariners during the first week of April which was the second series of the season. The Guardians' offense was off to a red-hot start which helped them take two of three games against their West Coast opponent. 

The Guardians’ bats have cooled off a bit since then. The team is hitting .246/.326/.411 with an OPS of .737 over their last 30 days. Those stats put them at about league average and are by no means bad. However, average isn’t going to cut it against Seattle’s elite pitching staff.

The Mariners have a team starter ERA of 3.30 this season which is the second-best in the American League and their 1.01 WHIP is the best in baseball. This is a staff that rarely gives up hits or walks batters. 

The Guardians are going to have to work for each one of their base runners and be patient in the box. 

One weakness the Mariners starters do have is their tendency to give up the long ball. Their rotation has given up 54 home runs this season which is in the bottom 10 in the league. (For reference, Cleveland’s starters have given up 57 home runs this year.) The Guardians, who have found a boost in power production this year, need to take advantage of this when they can.

Apr 2, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Bo Naylor (23) celebrates with right fielder Will Brennan (17) after hitting a two-run home run against the Seattle Mariners during the fourth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Seattle’s projected starters against the Guardians over the next three games are Bryce Miller (3.48), Bryan Woo (1.07), and Luis Castillo (3.32).

Cleveland did see Castillo in their first matchup of the season and the Guardians tagged him for a season-high 10 hits and four earned runs. However, this doesn’t mean the Guardians can get comfortable in the box. Castillo is one of baseball’s best pitchers and he’ll likely have a little extra motivation looking back at how his last matchup with Cleveland went. 

While going up against Seattle’s pitching staff will be a difficult challenge for the Guardians, it’s also a tremendous opportunity to show the rest of the league once again that this Cleveland offense is a legit contender.