Though it has not been formally announced, Félix Hernández, as of right now, is lined up to make his tenth Opening Day start, and ninth in a row. He gets the nod this evening in Peoria and, five days from now, the Mariners take on Cleveland at Safeco Field to open up 2018.
But before he extends that streak, there’s one more hurdle to clear—getting through tonight’s start vs. Cubs. Asked on Ep. 015 of The Wheelhouse what he was looking for from Félix in this final tuneup, Jerry Dipoto kept it simple.
Really, I’d like to see him build his pitch count.