Seattle Mariners Rookie Providing Optimism For Future Amid Team Struggles
The last three months have been dreadful for the Seattle Mariners. The M's, once 44-31, watched a 10.0-game division lead erode into as much as a 6.5 game deficit. They've seen their strikeout rates continue to soar, their manager fired and the credibility of the organization called into question.
However, through all of that, there's been a hint of hope and optimism provided by rookie relief pitcher Troy Taylor, who has been electric since his call-up in early August.
Taylor worked a scoreless eighth inning in a tie game on Tuesday night and before the game on Wednesday, the Mariners PR team put out this note:
right-hander Troy Taylor tossed a scoreless inning last night, lowering his ERA to 0.96 on the year…the rookie has not allowed a run in 8 consecutive outings (8/17-c), spanning 8.0 innings…in 10 appearances to begin his Major League career, Taylor has a 0.96 ERA (1 ER, 9.1 IP) with 3 walks, 12 strikeouts and 0.75 WHIP, limiting opponents to a .121 batting average (4x33).
Cal Raleigh is the @Mariners single-season record holder among catchers in:
— Mariners PR (@MarinersPR) September 4, 2024
🔹 RBI (84 in 2024)
🔹 HR (30 in 2023)
🔹 Extra-base hits (54 in 2023)
🔹 Runs (78 in 2023)
🔹 Walks (57 in 2024)
🔹 Total bases (234 in 2023)
Read more in today's Game Notes:
Part of the reason why the Mariners have wilted this year is because of the instability in the bullpen. Matt Brash was lost for the year with Tommy John surgery, while Gregory Santos has barely pitched because of a multitude of ailments.
If you squint really hard, you can start to imagine a three-headed bullpen monster in 2025 that features Taylor, a (hopefully) healthy Santos and Andres Munoz going innings 7-8-9. Furthermore, Brash is expected to return around June of next year, so you can imagine the possibilities if he comes back healthy.
Things have been rough, but there's a bit of optimism for your Thursday. The M's will finish out the series in Oakland at 12:37 p.m. PT before heading to St. Louis. They are now 70-70 on the year.
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