JUST IN: Recent Bleacher Report piece gives Mariners’ pitching staff excellent marks.

We knew the 2024 Mariners would be led by their pitching staff, with three pitchers who could be aces on 75% to 80% of MLB teams and two young pitchers poised to join the top tier of starters. However, their performance has exceeded all expectations.

This rotation isn’t reliant on just one or two pitchers; all five starters have been outstanding. They made history by being the first team to record 15 consecutive games with at least four strikeouts and no more than two earned runs. Emerson Hancock also delivered some great outings before being replaced by Bryan Woo.

Even more impressive than the starting rotation has been the bullpen’s performance, despite losing Matt Brash for the season and not yet seeing Gregory Santos pitch. The Mariners’ bullpen remains in the top 10 for ERA, K/9, BB/9, and fWAR, with significant contributions from Gabe Speier, Trent Thornton, and Austin Voth, while Andres Munoz continues to excel as a closer.

In Bleacher Report’s article “Ranking all 30 MLB Pitching Staffs,” Zachary Rymer praised the Mariners, ranking their rotation as the second-best in baseball. While there’s a strong case for the Mariners having the best rotation, Rymer placed the Phillies at the top, noting their fourth-lowest ERA, second-highest K/9, and an MLB-leading 8.3 fWAR from their starters, which is 1.8 fWAR higher than any other team.