New York Yankees vs. Seattle Mariners: Series Preview
New York Yankees vs. Seattle Mariners: Series Preview
The Yankees are coming off of two consecutive sweeps against the Twins and the White Sox headed into a new week. Now, the Mariners are coming to town as they look to build on their seven straight wins, and eight of nine. Much like the Yankees, the M’s find themselves in first place as June approaches, with Seattle riding their excellent pitching staff to a 1.5 game lead in the West.
The Mariners most recently dropped two of three in Baltimore, in the midst of what has been a so-so month of May. That being said, they have just a 25-22 record atop the West, a division that has shaken down far from expectations thus far. Nonetheless, the first place showdown should be a fun one at the Stadium, so let’s see how the four games will look this week.
Monday: Marcus Stroman vs. Logan Gilbert (7:05 ET)
The series opens up with Marcus Stroman on the hill, making his tenth start on the year. On the whole, he’s done a nice job, posting a 3.33 ERA in nearly 50 innings, but the individual starts have been hit or miss. After a downswing, Stroman’s latest start against the Twins was a great one. Though he allowed three walks, he surrendered just two hits over six scoreless frames. He’s walked multiple batters in four straight starts, but he’ll look to build on his most recent outing Monday.
Logan Gilbert, who’s solidified himself as a top-shelf starter, will take the mound in the opener for Seattle. He’s in the midst of perhaps his best season so far, sporting a 3.07 ERA and 3.54 FIP in his nine starts. The right-hander has struck out at least six batters in all but one of his starts this year, but is at a low point in the present moment, in which he’s given up 11 runs over 10.2 innings in his last two outings. He last faced the Yankees in May of last year, when they scored seven runs (four earned) in his four innings.
Tuesday: Clarke Schmidt vs. Bryan Woo (7:05 ET)
Clarke Schmidt has been perhaps the most pleasant surprise of the season so far for the Yankees. His ERA stands at an excellent 2.49, while he’s striking out more than a batter per inning. His most recent start was easily the best in his young career, where he tossed eight scoreless while striking out just as many against the Twins. Over a longer span, he’s working on a 14.2 inning scoreless streak, and will do his best to continue that on Tuesday.
Speaking of revelations, Bryan Woo is looking like one in his small sample so far in 2024. As a former top prospect for Seattle, he’s made two starts this season with the big club, totaling up to 9.2 innings with just one earned run. He’s thrown over 75 percent four-seamers and sinkers thus far, with a mix of offspeed on the back end. The Yanks will look to give him his first rude welcome of the season.
Wednesday: Nestor Cortes vs. Bryce Miller (7:05 ET)
The third game of the series features yet another intriguing matchup, with Nestor Cortes likely getting the nod for New York. The funky left hander has turned around nicely following his tough 2023, with an ERA and FIP both a full run lower than what he managed in a similar inning total last season. The former Mariner is coming off of a seven inning, six K performance against Chicago this past week, and he’ll look to pitch at least through the fifth for the 10th time in 11 starts this year.
For Seattle, Bryce Miller has been even better in ‘24 than he was in his solid rookie campaign. The young righty has a 3.08 ERA in nine starts and 52.2 innings this season, and has bumped his K rate above 25 percent. He and his five-pitch mix will be trying to rebound after a clunker against the O’s, when he surrendered five runs (four earned) in 5.2 frames. He faced the Yankees just once last season, and was tagged with eight earned runs.
Thursday: Luis Gil vs. Luis Castillo (12:35 ET)
Luis Gil will likely close out the series for the Bombers, hoping to follow up his electrifying 14 strikeout start against the Sox. It wasn’t a one-off event either, as he’s been probably the Yankees’ best starter, sporting a 2.39 ERA while striking out over 30 percent of batters. His stuff can be mesmerizing, and we might be seeing the full potential he has in 2024.
As far as excellent right-handed starters named Luis go, there are plenty to go around on Thursday. Castillo is one of the better and most consistent starters in the sport, and it’s been business as usual for the Mariners righty in 2024. He’s slashed his walk rate to a career-low, and has been his same old dominant self. He got hit around for a pair of homers and three runs in his last start in the Bronx, but an afternoon against Castillo will never be an easy one.