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Welcome back to our 2020 team-by-team previews. Today we will be checking on a team with a lot of fantasy question marks this year, the Seattle Mariners.
You can find all of our 2020 fantasy baseball MLB team previews here.
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Starting Lineup
| # | NAME | POS |
| 1 | Shed Long | 2B |
| 2 | J.P. Crawford | SS |
| 3 | Kyle Seager | 3B |
| 4 | Tom Murphy | C |
| 5 | Daniel Vogelbach | DH |
| 6 | Kyle Lewis | RF |
| 7 | Jake Fraley | LF |
| 8 | Evan White | 1B |
| 9 | Mallex Smith | CF |
- Better in OBP formats: Daniel Vogelbach, Evan White, Shed Long
- Worse in OBP formats: Mallex Smith, Kyle Lewis, Dee Gordon
- Better than his ADP: Shed Long (370), Evan White (333), Tom Murphy (264)
- Worse than his ADP: Mallex Smith (174)
- Bench bat(s) worth rostering: None
- Player(s) most likely to lose a starting spot: Mallex Smith
Quick notes: There is a lot of uncertainty with this group, but what do we know is that Evan White is going to play every day at first base after his contract extension. He doesn’t have huge upside but is a fine floor play for a corner infield spot. Dee Gordon shouldn’t be drafted, as it’s Shed Long’s job at second base now. He has sneaky sleeper appeal in a world where sleepers don’t exist anymore. Mitch Haniger could be back this year, but we don’t know when.
Pitching Rotation
| # | NAME | R/L |
| 1 | L | |
| 2 | Yusei Kikuchi | L |
| 3 | Justus Sheffield | L |
| 4 | R | |
| 5 | R |
- Better than his ADP: Yusei Kikuchi (397), Taijuan Walker (416)
- Worse than his ADP: None
- Starter least likely to stick in the rotation: Kendall Graveman
- Non-starter most likely to enter the rotation: Justin Dunn, Logan Gilbert
Quick notes: This is one of the worst rotations in baseball. Marco Gonzales can’t miss any bats, which makes his margin for error very slim. Yusei Kikuchi could have a good sophomore season after disappointing in his first season in the states. His velocity was up in Spring Training. Can Taijuan Walker capture some of the “Prince Taijuan” magic that he had in his first go-around in Seattle?
Bullpen
- Projected closer: Yoshihisa Hirano (Job Security: LOW)
- Top backup: Carl Edwards Jr., Matt Magill, Erik Swanson
- Premier holds option: None
- Sneaky holds option: None
Quick notes: Your guess is as good as anyone’s here. If there’s one dart throw to take, it’s on Carl Edwards Jr.
Prospects
- Relevant in 2020: Evan White, Kyle Lewis, Justus Sheffield, Justin Dunn, Jake Fraley
- Worth a look for 2021 and beyond: Jarred Kelenic, Julio Rodriguez, Logan Gilbert, Noelvi Marte, George Kirby, Brandon Williamson
- Don’t believe the hype: Justus Sheffield (he’s too short, and his velocity and command have been inconsistent. He’s a better long-relief guy.)
Other Helpful Fantasy Info
- Park Factor: 90.9 for runs, 94.7 for homers, 97.1 for singles, 83.8 for doubles, 71.6 for triples
- Green Light Rating: High
- Likeliest 2020 roster moves: Trading Kyle Seager to the Atlanta Braves or Washington Nationals for prospects.
- Bold Fantasy Prediction: Shed Long posts a 12/25 season as the everyday second baseman.
- Bland Fantasy Prediction: Mallex Smith loses his starting job and is never heard from again.
Check out all of our 2020 Fantasy Baseball MLB Team Previews.
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Michael Waterloo is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Michael, check out his archive and follow him @MichaelWaterloo.
