2014 Seattle Mariners Roster Predictions

If the Seattle Mariners want to win anything in 2014, they will have to keep all of their young players and have them play the whole season and keep them healthy so they can be productive members of the team. If they do that, then they will very likely be in the race for a spot in the Playoffs.

Here's my hopeful 25 player roster for the 2014 Seattle Mariners:

First let's start with the pitching side of the team, along with an interesting fact about each player:

Starting Pitchers:

1. Felix Hernandez

"King Felix" is easily the best pitcher in the league, if not all of baseball...and he's still getting better!

2. Danny Hultzen

Danny Hultzen was the 2nd overall pick in the 2011 Baseball draft by the Mariners.

3. Taijuan Walker

Some scouts say that Taijuan Walker is going to be BETTER than Felix Hernandez one day.

4. Hisashi Iwakuma

Hisashi Iwakuma was named the 2008 Rakuten award winner (The award is the Japanese equivilant of the Most Valuable Player award here in the U.S.)

5. James Paxton

James Paxton went to High School with Miami Marlins Right Fielder Giancarlo Stanton.

Relief Pitchers:

Tom Wilhelmsen

Tom pitched for the Mesa Solar Sox in the independent Golden Baseball League in 2007.

Charlie Furbush

Charlie once pitched for the Detroit Tigers.

Lucas Luetge

Lucas is from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.

Stephen Pryor

Stephen was part of the 10th combined no-hitter in Major League Baseball versus Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012. He also won his first career game that night.

Danny Farqhuar

Danny Farqhuar was acquired from the Yankees for Ichiro...so he better be good!

Chance Ruffin

Chance throws 104 Miles Per Hour

Brandon Maurer

Brandon was named Southern League Pitcher of the Year in 2012

Now the projected lineup:

1. Brad Miller (Shortstop)

Brad doesn't wear batting gloves.

2. Nick Franklin (2nd Base)

Nick went to the University of North Carolina (UNC) with Kyle Seager and Dustin Ackley.

3. Kyle Seager (3rd Base)

Kyle was once a second baseman.

4. Kendrys Morales (Designated Hitter)

Kendrys is from Fomento, Cuba.


5. Abraham Almonte (Right Fielder)


Abraham was acquired from the Yankees in a trade for pitcher Shawn Kelley.

6. Justin Smoak (1st Base)

Justin was originally drafted by the Texas Rangers.


7. Mike Zunino (Catcher)

Mike Zunino was drafted with the third pick in the 2012 Draft.


8. Michael Saunders (Left Fielder)

Michael grew up in Vancouver.


9. Dustin Ackley (Center Fielder)

Dustin was the second pick overall in the 2009 Draft


Backups: Xavier Avery(Outfielder), Jesus Sucre(Catcher), Carlos Triunfel (2nd Base/Shortstop) and Raul Ibanez (Emergency Catcher/1st Base/Outfielder/Designated Hitter)

1993 World Series Game 6: Philadelphia Phillies vs. the Toronto Blue Jays

If someone were to walk up to me and say "What World Series game would you want to go to that happened before you were born?" I would tell them: Game 6 of the 1993 World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Blue Jays. Why would I choose this game? Look and see how many players on both teams who had or later became members of the Seattle Mariners franchise. Some were more known(John Olerud and Rickey Henderson) than others (Dave Hollins, Ed Sprague). That game is also known as when Joe Carter hit just the second World Series winning homerun.

Here is the homerun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zBetduLEv0&feature=player_detailpage#t=70

Why the Seattle Mariners will be playoff contenders in 2014 and beyond

Despite the slow start, the Seattle Mariners will be playoff contenders in 2013 because of these two reasons:

1. Harang and Saunders won't be in Seattle for much longer



Taijuan Walker



The two weak links in the Mariners pitching staff, Aaron Harang and Joe Saunders, will not be with the team for much longer, as the Mariners have Taijuan Walker, James Paxton and Danny Hultzen waiting in the minor leagues right now. But once Walker, Hultzen and Paxton are in the Majors, they will be there for good!

2. Mike Zunino

The third overall pick in the 2012 draft, Zunino is the Mariners catcher of the future. He is clearly ready to play at the Major League level and should snag the starting catching job from Jesus Montero, a catcher who can't catch, and Kelly Shoppach, a catcher who can catch, but strikes out far too often. Zunino should be in the Majors anytime. Zunino has Montero's hitting potential and Shoppach's good defensive abilities. Zunino also gives the Mariners a good young hitting catcher, something they haven't had since they traded Jason Varitek to Boston back in 1997.


Mike Zunino



Giancarlo Stanton

Giancarlo Stanton is probably the best homerun hitter you have never heard of. Why is that? It's because he plays for one of baseball's worst teams (in terms of wins): the Miami Marlins! Now, Stanton is a diamond in the rough on a team that has little to no talent anyway! Don't believe me that he's the best homerun hitter you've never heard of? Here's a scary statistic for you: Only Mel Ott, Eddie Mathews and Frank Robinson hit more homeruns in their career than the 56 home runs that Stanton had hit by the time he turned 22 years old! All three of those players are in the Hall of Fame and Robinson was the most recent in 1956! Here are some highlights from Stanton's young career: