Mike Leake, that is. The 30-year-old pitcher acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals last August could, in fact, be the best starting pitching option the Mariners have in 2018. Coming off a year in which he valued at a career-high 3.1 WAR, Leake embodied the definition of stable and always has. James Paxton and Felix Hernandez, in recent years, have not.
Leake is the pitcher Jerry Dipoto hoped Wade Miley would turn out to be in 2016. He eats innings and rarely walks anyone. Aside from his rookie year, Leake has never finished a season with less than 165-plus innings logged.