Mariners Adjust Starting Rotation Strategy
The Seattle Mariners are making some notable shifts in their starting pitching strategy. As of Tuesday, they have six talented pitchers: Logan Gilbert, Brian Wu, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, Luis Castillo, and Emerson Hancock.
Instead of sticking to the conventional five-man rotation—or even using a six-man rotation—Seattle announced that they’ll be implementing a “piggyback” plan during the All-Star break. What does this mean exactly? Well, it entails that the starters will alternate who begins games and who supports them, thereby extending the innings pitched collectively while also managing their workload. It’s a creative way to keep all six pitchers actively involved.
Justin Hollander, the Mariners’ general manager, shared that “each of those six players will play once on the front end or back end over the next 30 days.” He noted that this means every pitcher will give up an inning or two over the upcoming month. Just a minor sacrifice for the bigger picture, I suppose.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time they’ve tried using a piggyback strategy. Earlier in May, there were some mixed feelings about it, particularly from Miller and Castillo. However, the current vibe seems to be more positive, with Hollander mentioning that it was a “unanimous” agreement among the six pitchers this time around.
He acknowledged that while it’s not going to be the perfect arrangement, it’s about finding a solution that works best for the team as a whole. “It’s about choosing the option that makes the most sense for everyone,” he pointed out.
Last month did come with some uncertainty, but Miller and Castillo stood out, posting an impressive 1.67 ERA during their piggyback outings, even covering 27 out of 28 innings, which, honestly, gave the bullpen a much-needed breather.
Hollander described this plan as more of a temporary fix than a groundbreaking approach to pitching. “I don’t think we’re going to revolutionize pitching in any way,” he said. Still, for the group they have at the moment, it feels like the right call. After discussing it with them over the weekend, he sensed that the starters were starting to come around to it.
As for the Mariners’ performance this season, their rotation has shone brightly, boasting a 3.82 ERA, placing them seventh in the league. As of Tuesday, they held a record of 37-36, sitting half a game ahead in the American League West.
