Seattle Mariners Pitcher Bryce Miller Ready For Season After Latest ST Performance
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — The Seattle Mariners starting rotation is the strength of the team.
It was the only rotation in baseball that had four pitchers start 30 or more games last season. It led the league in total quality starts, innings pitched and strikeouts.
The rotation is back to a five-day schedule after beginning spring training on a seven-day rotation. Every pitcher with the exception of Bryan Woo, who'll start against the Athletics on Monday, and George Kirby, who's out with right shoulder inflammation, has pitched into the fifth inning in their most recent starts.
And Bryce Miller's latest outing might have been the best appearance by a Seattle pitcher in spring training.
In an 8-3 win against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Ariz., Miller pitched a full five innings. He struck out seven batters and allowed one earned run on two hits and walked one batter.
Miller fanned four with his fastball, one with his knuckle curve, one with his splitter and another with his slider. Miller was interviewed after his start and said he located his fastball better than he had dating back to last season.
"I think this is the best I've located the heater," Miller said. "And that was kind of my plan going into today — treat it like an in-season game. Attack with the heater and work from there. Even going back to last year, I don't think there's been too many games where I was able to be at the top of the zone as consistently as I was today with the fastball. So that was good."
Miller mixed in several pitches from his arsenal, including his new cutter — which was praised by manager Dan Wilson after the game. But Miller still thinks his secondary offerings could be better.
"I think the offspeed — I could still locate it a little better," Miller said. "But overall I was happy with (today). ... The fastball was really good, I think the sinker was good and the cutter was really good today. Splitter I thought was good, as well. Until my last pitch, the last slider I threw, that was probably the best-located one. And the curveball was over the plate in two-strike counts instead over over the top of the plate. It's stuff that will come as I throw more and get more comfortable on the mound. But I think action-wise, everything felt really good. But just need to fine-tune the offspeed, and I feel like we'll be close to mid-season form."
Bryce Miller, Filthy 84mph Knuckle Curve. 😷 pic.twitter.com/MA9XmGAAhM
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) February 27, 2025
Miller faced several of Reds major league players: Elly De La Cruz, Gavin Lux, Matt McClain and Christian Encarnacion-Strand were all in the lineup for Cincinnati on Sunday.
Miller will have one more start before the end of spring training. And he has the potential to be one of the most dangerous pitchers in the American League if he can solidify his secondary pitches before the regular season begins.
"I think for me, there's two parts of spring," Miller said. "The first probably three outings of spring ... my goal is to use my new stuff and get comfortable with it with hitters in the box. The last three outings, I didn't pitch like I would normally in-season. I'm throwing random pitchers in random counts just to use them. And these last two starts I got, my goal was to treat it like the game counted. My foundation is my heater. I establish that and work everything off. Same with next week. I'll be trying to attack and act like it's a regular game. And as I throw more offspeed to hitters and get more comfortable with them, they'll come."
Related Stories on Seattle Mariners
TAKEAWAYS FROM SEATTLE MARINERS 8-3 CACTUS LEAGUE WIN AGAINST CINCINNATI REDS: Bryce Miller had arguably the team's best start of spring training and Rowdy Tellez had a three-hit game Sunday. CLICK HERE
TROY TAYLOR WORKING HIS WAY BACK: The second-year pitcher threw a bullpen on Sunday; Taylor suffered a right lat strain in the offseason. CLICK HERE
MATT BRASH ENCOURAGED AFTER LIVE BULLPEN SESSION: Brash was able to put more strength behind his fastball and generated multiple outs while facing Victor Robles and Miles Mastrobuoni live. CLICK HERE
Follow Seattle Mariners on SI on social media
Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on "X" @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady. You can subscribe to the "Refuse to Lose" podcast by clicking HERE.
