Salk: The Seattle Mariners are a force to be reckoned with this season
The Seattle Mariners have been making waves in the MLB this spring, and it's all thanks to their newfound completeness. After falling just short of the World Series last year, the team is now a legitimate contender with World Series aspirations. Mike Salk, co-host of Brock and Salk, spent a week at their spring training facility in Peoria, Arizona, and came away with a sense of awe.
"This is the most complete Mariner team I've seen in my 17 years of being around this organization," Salk said. "We'll find out whether or not they're the best one. You got to play the actual games to figure that out."
Salk was particularly impressed with the way the Mariners have built a roster with few holes. They have a strong starting rotation, a solid bullpen, and star power at the top of the order. The team has also lengthened its lineup, adding players like Josh Naylor, Brendan Donovan, and Rob Refsnyder.
"Do they have a starting rotation? Yes. Is the bullpen good? Yes, and it got a little bit deeper with the addition of Jose Ferrer this offseason. Do they have star power at the top of the order? Well, of course," Salk said. "Cal (Raleigh) took that vault last year and Julio (Rodríguez) is a star, regardless of how frustrating he can occasionally be to some Mariner fans who are waiting for him to take it to that ultra, ultra, ultra top level."
Salk also noted that the Mariners have a more complete lineup, with players like Victor Robles and Luke Raley, who are bounce-back candidates this season, mixed in with up-and-coming youngsters like Cole Young and potentially Colt Emerson. "I just think they’ve built a team where, yeah, you’ve got a couple of platoons at the bottom of the order, but you’re not running out the Rowdy Tellezes and Donovan Solanos of the world," Salk said. "You actually have somebody you want to be there in all nine spots in your batting order, all five spots in your rotation and virtually every spot in your bullpen. That is a complete baseball team."
So, will the Seattle Mariners go all the way and win the World Series? Only time will tell. But with a complete and balanced roster, they certainly have a fighting chance. Stay tuned to Brock and Salk to hear more from Mike Salk on the Mariners' chances this season.
