The Seattle Mariners had their playoff hopes dashed by an Oakland A's victory in Game 162 last season, but they've retooled and reloaded so deftly this offseason that their 2014 disappointment looks to be firmly in the rearview mirror.
What should you expect from the team this year? Will they make their first trip to the MLB Playoffs since 2001? Here's our 3 bold predictions for your 2015 Seattle Mariners.
3. Taijuan Walker Will Win The 5th Starter Job -- He Won't Be 5th For Long
Walker, 22, is impressing people early in Spring Training, and the addition of a nasty cut-and-break slider is just what he needs to make the move from prospect to legitimate MLB starter. Walker will prove himself worthy of the 5th starter role (be it in spring or early in the season) and will have one of those dominant two-month stretches in June and July that cements him as a member of Seattle's rotation for years to come.
2. Nelson CRUUUUUUUUUUUUUZ
It feels like Seattle's been looking for a right-handed power bat like Nelson Cruz for a near eternity, but the wait will be well worth it. It'd be unfair to expect Cruz to match his 40 home run output moving from the bandbox of Camden Yards to the cavernous Safeco Field, but Cruz's 27-30 bombs and 110 RBIs will be more than enough to get Cruz his own 'CRUUUUUZZZZ' welcoming committee in advance of every at-bat.
1. The AL West Will Belong To Seattle
Texas seems doomed to repeat their 2014 frustrations with Yu Darvish set to hit the shelf after upcoming Tommy John surgery. The Oakland A's went full iPhone shuffle mode with their roster once again, and the end result might not have enough lineup pop to get the job done. The Astros...are still the Astros, despite incremental improvements.
That leaves Seattle and the Los Angeles Angels for the AL West crown, and we're taking the Mariners because of their superior pitching staff from rotation on down to the bullpen.
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