All Star Break Update
(Warning: this will be a long post, detailing season stats, prospect movement, etc.)
All Star Rosters:
AL:
NL:
Mariners had four representatives, all pitchers, as SP James Paxton and RPs Juan Nicasio, Alex Colome, and CL Edwin Diaz have been amazing and are a big reason the Mariners are where they are in the standings.
Standings:
The Mariners are currently in 2nd place in the west, but 11 GB from Houston, who is running away with the division. The Mariners best chance of making the playoffs is getting one of the two wild card spots, which is a tight race at the halfway point in the season.
Current 25-man roster:
Pitching:
Lineup:
Prospects update:
- #17 Prospect OF Luis Liberato has shot up mid-season prospect lists due to him outperforming every other Mariners minor league hitter in 2018. In 91 games, the 22 year old has hit .322 with a 139 OPS+ including 30 2B, 9 3B and 13 HR for Modesto (A+). This performance has catapulted him up to AA Arkansas, where he will continue playing LF every day whie maybe seeing a little bit more time n CF/RF to potentially give him experience at all three positions and make him a 4th OF sooner than expected.
- OFs Braden Bishop (#6 overall) and Eric Filia (#12 overall) have both hit exceptionally well in Arkansas and will be starting the second half in Tacoma. Filia especially has been just superb in only 39 games mostly playing RF to catch up with his LF skills. In Tacoma he will play some 1B as well to potentially become a average defender there as well. Bishop will still play CF every day while OF Ian Miller shifts over to LF to account for his weak arm.
- Mariner #1 prospect Kyle Lewis and #22 prospect 2B Donnie Walton have both also advanced to AA Arkansas, as both have hit over .300 all year and both had OPS+'s of about 120 each. Lewis will continue to work in CF even though he is already a plus defender in LF and above average in RF, and Walton, who played some SS in Modesto will now primarily play 2B.
- RP Art Warren (#9 prospect) has absolutely dominated AA as the closer for Arkansas, and has been promoted to Tacoma after posting a 1.60 ERA in 45 innings this year. He is a candidate to potentially be added to the 40-man roster and make his debut in Seattle this September.
The Mariners have released OFs Jayson Werth/Kirk Nieuwenhuis and RP Mike Morin who have all under performed for Tacoma this year, to make room for Bishop/Filia/Warren.
That will do it for the ASB update, I'll post any trades I make before the deadline, and then a July update where I post everyone's stats and the standongs, etc.