Mariners series preview: Los Angeles Angels
Mariners series preview: Los Angeles Angels
Pitching matchups, X factors, and picks to click for your Seattle Mariners against the division rival Angels.
After a rough finish to a weekend that started so promising, the Mariners will stay at T-Mobile Park to take on American League West foe the Los Angeles Angels.
These two teams saw fireworks on several occasions last season, including a brawl incited by Los Angeles manager Phil Nevin last June. Both clubs have high hopes and aspirations coming into the season but will be successful for different reasons.
The Angels rely heavily on their offense and solid starting pitchers Shohei Ohtani and Patrick Sandoval. Seattle relies on their pitching staff and a solid defensive unit, paced by timely hitting.
With this series being the first inter-division series of the year, the intensity in Seattle should be high. Let’s take a look.
Pitching Matchups
Monday: Reid Detmers (LHP) vs. George Kirby (RHP)
Tuesday: Jose Suarez (LHP) vs. Luis Castillo (RHP)
Wednesday: Shohei Ohtani (RHP) vs. Chris Flexen (RHP)
Seattle has the advantage in both of the first two games of this series in the pitching department. They will call on sophomore star George Kirby to break the losing streak on Monday night.
Kirby, making his season debut, threw 130 innings and posted 3.0 fWAR last season. The 25 year old won’t be on an innings limit, but the team plans to build him up slowly as it looks to keep the young starter healthy for the long run.
He will face Reid Detmers who had a promising year for the Angels in 2022, posting 2.4 fWAR in 129 innings. In 13 innings against the Mariners last year, Detmers allowed just two runs, which should be a stiff challenge for a Seattle offense that has scuffled already in 2023.
Luis Castillo is the Seattle ace, and he will face the sixth starter in the Angels rotation. Jose Suarez faced Seattle four separate times last season, giving up 9 earned runs in 20.2 innings.
The Angels have a distinct advantage in Wednesday’s matchup with their ace Shohei Ohtani facing Chris Flexen. Flexen is replacing Robbie Ray in the Seattle rotation following his placement on the injured list on Saturday.
X Factor
My X factor for this series is going to be Seattle right-handed pitcher George Kirby. It may seem odd to pick a starting pitcher who can only contribute in one of the three games, but hang with me.
The Mariners struggled defensively over the weekend but also struggled to throw strikes. Seattle’s pitching staff walked 16 batters over the course of the series, and the defense made several key errors that led to runs by Cleveland.
Kirby’s expertise is not walking batters, walking just 1.52 batters per nine last season. I expect him to get in the strike zone early and often and get the Seattle defense involved, changing the momentum for this Mariner ball club.
He has an opportunity to be a “stopper” and be one of the best starting pitchers in the American League, and this campaign begins on Monday.
BR’s picks to click
There is one key difference in the matchups between these two teams from last year to now, Teoscar Hernández and AJ Pollock. The Angels rely heavily on left handed pitchers, both in the rotation and in the bullpen.
Seattle struggles mightily when facing left-handed pitchers, as evident in their numbers against Suarez and Detmers last season. This team has added a few key weapons that destroy left-handed pitching, a huge addition to this offense.
AJ Pollock is an under the radar addition for the Mariners, getting the start in left field yesterday against the Guardians. He posted a 161 WRC+ last season against lefties, including 11 home runs in just 133 PA.
Hernández meanwhile is one of the very best hitters in the league against left handers. He boasted a 175 WRC+ against southpaws in 2022, including 8 home runs in just 97 PA. The slugger will get back on track this week against the Angels.
I expect both of these hitters to be huge additions to the Seattle lineup, helping to neutralize what was an area of weakness for them last season.
