The 2022 All-'Mariners Killer' Team... So Far
The Mariners have hit rock-bottom in what is quickly becoming a lost season, dropping four of five to the Angels to finish a disastrous 3-8 homestand.
Their stagnant offense, which scored a combined three runs in those four losses, was the primary culprit, though it also didn't help that Los Angeles outfielder Mike Trout did, well, Mike Trout things and then some. But while teams are bound to fall victim to Trout's greatness sooner or later, especially in a rare five-game series, what he was able to do over this past weekend was truly stunning—even for a player some consider to be the best to ever pick up a baseball bat.
Trout, however, isn't the only player to take over an entire series against Seattle this season. This has become a fairly common occurrence throughout the year, with several memorable hitting and pitching performances coming at the Mariners' expense. In fact, enough players come to mind to build an entire roster.
So let's do that. Without further ado, this is the All-"Mariners Killer" roster for the 2022 season... thus far.
THE STARTERS
C Salvador Pérez, Royals
The Mariners may have swept their series with the Royals back in April, but Pérez was a nuisance as always. Although he didn't slug four home runs as he did at T-Mobile Park last summer, the seven-time All-Star catcher still went 4 for 11 with a pair of doubles, a dinger and a walk.
1B Rhys Hoskins, Phillies
Cespedes BBQ's ritual of congratulating Hoskins every time he hits a home run was alive and well when the Mariners hosted the Phillies in May. Hoskins took the series in his own hands, going 6 for 13 with a trio of roundtrippers, including a grand slam to give Philadelphia its only source of offense in a 4-2 rubber-match win.
2B Trevor Story, Red Sox
Story was a non-factor when the Red Sox recently visited the Mariners, but what he did back in Boston was ridiculous enough to still land him in this starting lineup. Entering the first meeting between the two teams with an 81 wRC+, the veteran middle infielder went 6 for 15 with five home runs, including three in the series opener, and drove in 13 of his club's 33 runs.
3B Rafael Devers, Red Sox
Devers did nothing but bolster his MVP bid when facing the Mariners this season, recording a hit in all but one of the seven games he played in. In total, he went 8 for 27 with four home runs—the last of which being an absurd, opposite-field smash on a pitch well outside the zone to give Boston a series victory in Seattle.
SS Jeremy Peña, Astros
Seattle is more than acquainted with Houston's rookie sensation at this point. Through 12 games, Peña is 11 for 32 with five extra-base hits, including two home runs, seven runs driven in and a walk against Mariners pitching.
OF Mike Trout, Angels
Holding Trout to 6 for 20 in five games sounds pretty good at face value, but five of those six hits resulted in home runs that changed the course of this past weekend's series. Even worse: the Mariners still have to face him 14 more times in 2022.
OF Byron Buxton, Twins
If Buxton played for an American League West team, he may very well put up Trout-esque numbers against the Mariners. In seven games this season, the former top prospect ripped six extra-base hits with four going over the wall and likely kept multiple Seattle runs off the board with his stellar defense.
OF Manuel Margot, Rays
Margot had a decent series when the Mariners went down to Tampa in late April, but what he did a week later in Seattle is why he's in this starting lineup. Cranking three home runs in as many games, including a go-ahead, game-winning three-run blast as a pinch hitter, the 27-year old outfielder singlehandedly sucked the life out of T-Mobile Park.
DH J.D. Martinez, Red Sox
The third and final Red Sox hitter to make this list, Martinez continued his reign as one of the best active hitters against the Mariners. He is currently the only non-Astros hitter to record 10 or more hits when facing Seattle pitching this year, going 10 for 23 with two home runs, three doubles, two walks and three RBI.
THE BENCH
C Ryan Jeffers, Twins: In five games against the Mariners this season, Jeffers went 5 for 15 with a double, two walks and two RBI.
INF Luis Arráez, Twins: Perhaps the most underrated player in baseball, Arráez recorded eight hits in 20 at-bats against Seattle with seven singles, a home run, two walks and four RBI.
INF Elvis Andrus, Athletics: While he's been well below-average in 2022, Andrus found great success when the A's visited Seattle in early June, going 5 for 11 with a pair of big home runs.
OF Michael Brantley, Astros: Brantley currently leads all hitters with 15 hits against Mariners pitching, including three doubles and a home run.
THE ROTATION
RHP Justin Verlander, Astros: The Mariners got to Verlander for six runs on 10 hits back on May 27, but he dominated in his other three starts with 23 strikeouts and just five runs allowed in 21.2 innings pitched.
RHP Drew Rasmussen, Rays: In two starts (11 innings) against the Mariners this year, Rasmussen surrendered just one run on seven hits while striking out 14 and walking three.
RHP Sonny Gray, Twins: One of the few non-AL West pitchers to face Seattle twice this season, Gray limited the damage to two runs—both in his first outing—while striking out seven in 9.2 innings of work.
RHP Kutter Crawford, Red Sox: Entering his second career start with a combined ERA of 7.24 between Triple-A and the major league level, Crawford held the Mariners to just one hit in 5.0 scoreless innings while striking out seven on June 12.
LHP Yusei Kikuchi, Blue Jays: Facing his former team, Kikuchi held the Mariners to just one hit while striking out six in as many innings of work on May 16.
THE BULLPEN
RHP Seth Martinez, Astros: Facing 17 Mariners hitters, Martinez has allowed just four men to reach base—one hit, one hit by pitch and two walks—while striking out three.
RHP John Schreiber, Red Sox: In five appearances against Seattle, Schreiber struck out six and allowed one unearned run on a pair of hits and a walk.
RHP Tanner Houck, Red Sox: Houck was filthy in his three outings versus the Mariners this season, striking out nine of the 19 batters he faced and allowing just four to reach base safely.
RHP Jason Adam, Rays: Adam played a noteworthy role in the Rays going 5-2 against the Mariners this season, surrendering just one hit and striking out eight of the 18 hitters he squared off with over the course of four appearances.
RHP Jhoan Durán, Twins: Despite allowing five baserunners in four outings, the Mariners would have preferred to avoid the hard-throwing Durán, who struck them out a combined seven times in 19 attempts while holding them scoreless.
LHP Parker Mushinski, Astros: Mushinski has yet to allow a hit to Mariners hitters in 15 plate appearances, striking out three and issuing two walks in that time.
LHP Brooks Raley, Rays: Like Mushinski, Raley faced 15 Seattle hitters and allowed zero hits, walking just one and striking out five.
LHP Jake Diekman, Red Sox: Very familiar with the Mariners as a longtime resident of the AL West, Diekman struck out nine of the 22 Seattle bats he opposed and allowed just one unearned run in five appearances.
