2016 Pre-Season Profile: Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners greatly underwhelmed on high expectations in 2015 that led to a complete overhaul on the field, in the dugout, and in the front office.  Will all the changes made lead to more success for the M's in 2016?

Last Season

My 2015 Prediction: 2nd in AL West, WILD CARD, lose in ALCS

2015 Result: 76-86, 4th in AL West

Many people were picking the Mariners to finally make a World Series in 2015.  A number of injuries and disappointing seasons led to an all-around disappointing season.  The question was did they disappoint in 2015 or over-perform in 2014 so much that it led to unrealistic expectations?  Either way, 2015 did not go as planned and led to a mid-season firing of their general manager.

2016 Additions / Subtractions

The Mariners were the most active team in baseball this offseason.  This all started right at the end of the 2015 season when Jerry DiPoto was hired as the new general manager.  Next came a series of moves that changed almost half of the Mariners' 40 man roster.  Out went players like Logan Morrison, Brad Miller, and almost the entire bullpen.  In came Nori Aoki, Leonys Martin, Adam Lind, Chris Iannetta, Steve Cishek, Joaquin Benoit, Wade Miley, and Nate Karns.  None of them are blockbuster moves, but the combination of all of them make a major impact.  The other big move was replacing manager Lloyd McClendon with former big leaguer and rookie manager Scott Servais.  In fact, the only coach kept from the year before was Mariner legend Edgar Martinez as hitting coach.  It was an overhaul rarely seen in baseball.

Most Important Hitter

Robinson Cano

Robinson Cano had one of his worst seasons as a pro in 2015.  He started off the season injured but tried to play through it, which led to a terrible start.  He ended the season much closer to what we have come to expect from Cano, but the overall totals were not that impressive.  With Cano coming into the season healthy, he needs to get back to the production that made him one of the best players in baseball.  If he doesn't, the Mariners are not going anywhere in the foreseeable future.

Most Important Pitcher

Taijuan Walker

It wasn't too long ago that Taijuan Walker was considered one of the best prospects in baseball.  He has now had a couple seasons in the big leagues, but his production has yet to scratch his potential.  He is only entering his age 23 season, but this is a big year for Walker.  He needs to take a big step forward in becoming the superstar many think he can be.  If he does find his groove, him and King Felix could be one of the more formidable top two in any rotation in the league.

Player to Watch

Dae-Ho Lee

The Mariners had a huge wave of prospects come up in the last few seasons.  Some worked out, some didn't, but it left behind a depleted farm system.  Most of the Mariners' top prospects are still several years away.  One rookie projected to make the Opening Day roster is a foreign import, something that has become a Mariner specialty.  Dae-Ho Lee is a 33 year old first baseman from Korea the Mariners signed this offseason.  He is a big dude, standing 6'4" and weighing in at 250 pounds.  He hit 40 home runs last season in Japan, and the Mariners are hoping to see some of that power transfer over to America as he is slated to complete a first base platoon with Adam Lind.

2016 Prediction

3rd in AL West

The Mariners had so many things go wrong last year to lead to their disappointing season.  However, this team is completely unrecognizable from the team that played in September.  Change is exciting, but also uncertain.  They have to play better than they did last year.  Look for some improvement, but a complete rebuild like this takes at least a year to really settle and show its full potential.

Fearless Prediction

Hisashi Iwakuma makes the All Star Team.

Hisashi Iwakuma has quietly been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the last three or four seasons.  In 2013, he made the All Star Team and was 3rd in Cy Young voting.  A series of injuries marred the last two seasons though.  He was almost signed by the Dodgers this offseason, but a questionable physical forced them to reconsider, leading to a return to Seattle.  If he stays healthy, look for him to be back in the Mid-Summer Classic, completing what could potentially be one of the better top three starters in all of baseball (Felix Hernandez and Taijuan Walker).

2015 Pre-Season Profile: Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers were somewhat of a surprise team last year.  Will they be able to continue their success into 2015?

Last Season

82-80, 3rd in NL Central

No one was really expecting much out of the Brewers last year.  Then they went out and had a winning season, finishing behind only the playoff-bound Cardinals and Pirates.  It was definitely an overachieving effort in 2014.

2015 Additions / Subtractions

The Brewers were almost disturbingly quiet this offseason.  For a team that seemed to be close in 2014, seeking out a few pieces to put them over the edge would have made sense.  The only acquisition made on any front was bringing in slugger Adam Lind to play first base.  On the other hand, they traded ace Yovani Gallardo to the Texas Rangers for prospects.  It almost feels like the Brewers are not quite sure what they want to be; a team of the future or a team of the present.  So instead of deciding, they have stayed in limbo not really committing to either.

Most Important Hitter

Ryan Braun

This is an easy one.  Ryan Braun has been a shell of his former self since his suspension for PEDs.  What was once a perennial MVP candidate has become just another face on his own team.  The emergence of hitters like Carlos Gomez, Khris Davis, Jonathan Lucroy, and Jean Segura, they have established a solid core to the lineup, but they need their leader.  They need their backbone to really be a force to be reckoned with in the NL Central.  That means Braun has to become the feared hitter he once was and earn back some credibility and respectability to his career.

Most Important Pitcher

Matt Garza

In his first year in Milwaukee last year, Matt Garza showed why he has bounced around so much from team to team.  He shows flashes of dominance, but is primarily inconsistent.  The Brewers brought in Garza to be help lead their rotation, but he was out performed by several others on his staff.  If the Brewers are going to have a successful season, Matt Garza needs to be the pitcher he is being paid to be.

Player to Watch

Scooter Gennett

The Brewers have one of the worst farm systems in baseball, with only one prospect cracking MLB.com's Top 100 and none of their top prospects projected to help out the big club for several years still.  This leads to a roster that has no hope of a wild card coming out of nowhere to breathe new life into the club.  With that said, I am focusing here on possibly one of the best young players in the game you haven't heard of.  Scooter Gennett burst onto the scene when he took over as the Brewers' second baseman down the stretch in 2013.  In his first full season last year, he continued to show that he is a top ten player at his position in the league.  Last year, he was second in NL batting average in my ASG-to-ASG rankings, which calculates the end of one year and the start of the next as a complete season's worth of stats.  He struggled a little down the stretch, but look for him to possibly be a surprise All Star selection this year.

Prediction

4th in NL Central

Overall, it appears the Brewers seem to be trending in the wrong direction.  After the surprise start to 2014, something needed to be done to solidify and validate their spot near the top of the division.  Instead, they stayed put and even went backward.  When Adam Lind and a backup shortstop are your only acquisitions, you lose your ace and pitching staff leader, and you don't have any help coming up through the farm system, they might be in for a long season.  I don't see Ryan Braun bouncing back they way they need him to, and I don't see Matt Garza having a dominant season.  They have some great talent, but it is far from coming all together.  They might prove me wrong like they proved everyone wrong last year, but I doubt it.