The Rangers look to bounce back after their first series loss of the season in the first divisional matchup of the year in Seattle against the Mariners.
Seattle is off to a 5-8 start as the star-studded rotation has been a bit underwhelming early on in 2025. With George Kirby still on the IL, the rotation of Gilbert, Castillo, Miller, and Woo have combined for a 4.55 ERA in 65.1 innings pitched.
Rangers-Mariners Series Overview
Both Texas and Seattle’s lineups are in similar spots going into the weekend getting off to sluggish starts but showing signs of life here lately. Seattle is hitting .200 as a team as Texas goes into the series hitting .206. Both lineups have a team OPS of exactly .636 and the Rangers have scored a single run more with 45 to Seattle's 44 throughout 13 games each.
That being said, looking at numbers over the past couple of seasons, it’s no secret that this Seattle offense has never been able to produce much run support for the best starting rotation in all of baseball. Hence their disappointing finishes to each season since making the playoffs in 2022.
So all things considered, the Texas bats should be trusted more to get things going while possessing infinitely more firepower.
Rangers-Mariners Series Breakdown
This series is going to feature the best pitching matchups in baseball over the weekend going up against offenses that are looking to carry over some momentum from their last couple of games.
Jacob deGrom goes up against Bryce Miller in Game 1 on Friday night. With a 3.38 ERA and 9 K’s in 10.2 innings through his first two starts, deGrom is off to a respectable start. While 26-year-old Miller is off to a sluggish 5.73 ERA in his first two starts, he promises to get things going soon.
Last year, Miller posted a sub 3.00 ERA and sub 1.00 WHIP as a 25-year-old throwing 180 innings. It is really only a matter of time before he gets things going in ‘25 which honestly can be said for the whole of Seattle's rotation.
Game 2 features Kumar Rocker versus Bryan Woo with the rookie Rocker coming off a strong bounce-back start against Tampa Bay. Woo is another guy in that Seattle rotation that posted a sub 3.00 ERA and sub 1.00 WHIP in ‘24 tallying just 13 walks in over 120 innings pitched. That being said each of Seager, Semien, Garcia, and Leoady Taveras all homered off of Woo who does not give up the long ball consistently whatsoever.
The final game features each of the club’s opening day starters in Eovaldi versus Gilbert. Eovaldi looks to continue his unreal start supporting a 9.61 K/9 and letting up an opponent OPS a miniscule .462 through 19.2 innings.
Rangers-Mariners Predictions
This series is going to come down to the bats. Which offense can get things going against quality pitching in the first matchup against the two teams that may just be the best two in the AL West?
I think the series will be split 1-1 going into Sunday's matchup of aces. I personally trust the Texas offense more than Seattle's, so I will go ahead and predict a Rangers series win based on the idea the bats build on what they did the last two games in Chicago. That and trusting deGrom and most definitely Eovaldi to go out and do their thing on the bump in games 1 and 3.