(B)Leake Outlook

(Dammit, I'm running out of Mike Leake puns)

So, the AL Wild Card spots, unlike the NL ones, are staying put for now. We've been at 'Yankees-A's for a few weeks now, and it's just probably going to continue to be that matchup, which...is fine. I mean, the Yankees have beat the A's in a squeaker or two before, and could do it again...or, alternatively, the A's could dominate New York, and then everybody else.

So where does that leave the Mariners? ...In third. As usual.

Look, there's no doubt that the Mariners' rotation has been a bit of a letdown this year, especially Felix Hernandez, who only has four more strikeouts than Edwin Diaz, the guy with less than half his innings. James Paxton and Mike Leake have been strong, but they've been relying on a ton of unsung heroes to start games, especially Wade LeBlanc, who's primarily been a reliever in the past few years.  They had Ariel Miranda, who did fine for them, but released him in favor of less than strong starters like Erasmo Ramirez. And yes, the bullpen is fine, especially with Edwin Diaz' firepower, but...the rotation could be a ton stronger, and I get the feeling that there isn't a ton of talent immediately available in the farm system.

So, the M's have two choices- keep fighting, and try and squeeze into the WC race with a month to go and 4.5 games separating them and Oakland, or they could fall back, regroup, and just finish as strong as they can. I don't think there's any use trying to stretch for a playoff spot they may not be ready for.

Coming Tonight: His dad's a Hall of Famer, and he's currently a rookie standout in San Francisco.