There are so many ways to look at the Mariners’ latest piggyback plan. Some will call it creative. Others will hate it and call it weird, or bush league. Maybe it’s closest to overengineered. Most of the arguments are fair. Well, maybe the bush league one is over the top.
But who cares about the math of all? That’s not the most interesting part of this. The real story is what it says about the Mariners’ rotation. These guys are leaving their egos out of it because they want to win games, and they want success for their teammates.
In case you missed it, the Mariners aren’t bringing back the awkward tandem between Bryce Miller and Luis Castillo. Instead the new version of the piggyback will have Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo, Bryce Miller, Luis Castillo and Emerson Hancock all part of it. Yep. The whole group has bought in, and that’s the key.
If the Mariners are going to do something this unusual, the only way it works is if the entire rotation buys in. This rotation is tight, and this plan screams that pretty loudly. These guys are 100 percent competing with each other. They’d be lying if they said they didn’t want to be the top guy. It would be hard to be a pitcher without that kind of edge.
But the healthiest way to be the top guy in this situation, is by leveling the playing field. Not rooting against each other or waiting for one of the guys to crack. In order to get better, they have to push each other, measure themselves against each other while understanding the only way this machine works is by keeping the group intact. That’s what makes this six-top extremely special.
The Mariners starters are seventh in the majors with a 3.78 ERA, which says a lot given some of the shaky outings we’ve seen. They’ve also logged the second-most innings pitched at 421 2/3, right behind the Dodgers (422 1/3) with only three other teams (Diamondbacks, Guardians, and Royals) over 400 so far this season. So, maybe there’s something to this idea of making sure the guys stay healthy. .
The Mariners’ rotation has been the backbone of this roster for years. It’s their identity. When the offense disappears, the rotation is supposed to keep them afloat. And when the bullpen gets stretched thin, it’s the rotation’s job to carry the extra weight.
But that creates a different kind of problem when there are six starters who all deserve innings. A traditional six-man rotation sounds clean until the bullpen has to pay the bill. The Mariners have already seen this. So again, this is where the starters have decided to level the playing field. Each one of them will have their opportunities to bail out the bullpen by, well, coming out of the bullpen when it’s their turn to do so.
For the sake of health, competition, and winning games, they’ve each decided that they’re willing to get uncomfortable with their routines in order to help this team. That deserves some real respect.
The first piggyback night will be with the OG duo, with Miller carrying with Castillo coming out of the pen. From there,we will just have to wait and see.
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