If the Seattle Mariners have their way, Bryce Miller, Logan Gilbert and George Kirby will anchor their rotation for years to come, perhaps even facing the New York Yankees in the American League playoffs.
So consider this week's three-game series between the teams in Seattle, which begins Monday, as potentially a sneak preview.
Miller (3-1, 1.15 ERA) is scheduled to start the series opener against New York's Domingo German (2-3, 3.75) in a matchup of right-handers.
Miller, the Mariners' top pitching prospect heading into the season, was called up earlier this month, just as Gilbert was in May 2021 and Kirby in May 2022.
"The main thing that I learned from just watching Kirby and Gilbert the last couple years was me coming into big league camp this year for the first time, I was able to know that the year before, Kirby was in the exact same spot and the year before that, Gilbert was in the same spot and they've had success in the big leagues the last two years," Miller said on Seattle Sports' "Wyman and Bob Show" on Friday.
Miller is the first pitcher to go a minimum of six innings and yield no more than four hits in his initial five major league appearances since at least 1901. He has logged three scoreless outings, including his last game, a 6-1 win against the Oakland A's on Wednesday. In that game, he yielded two hits and a walk while striking out six in six innings.
Miller has taken former AL Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray's spot in the rotation after the lefty made just one start this season before undergoing Tommy John surgery.
"When you lose a guy like Robbie Ray and then you have a young guy come in like that and take the opportunity and run with it, it is just fantastic," Mariners manager Scott Servais said. "Great to see."
The Mariners are 6-1 on their 10-game homestand after defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3 on Sunday thanks to Eugenio Suarez's walk-off, three-run homer in the 10th inning.
The Yankees outlasted visiting the visiting San Diego Padres 10-7 on Sunday as Aaron Judge hit his AL-leading 15th homer of the season.
New York got a scare in the sixth inning when first baseman Anthony Rizzo was hit in the head in a collision with San Diego's Fernando Tatis Jr. while making a tag.
Rizzo left the game with what the Yankees termed a neck injury but apparently passed concussion protocols after the game.
"Rizzo's good. (We're) just being cautious there," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "He went through all the testing and was fine. We'll just keep an eye on him (Sunday night) and (Monday)."
Boone said if Rizzo feels fine, he would be in the starting lineup in the series opener at Seattle.
While Miller will be facing the Yankees for the first time, the Mariners are somewhat familiar with German. He is 2-0 with a 3.60 ERA in three career appearances against them, including two starts.
German will be making his first start since May 16, having served a 10-game MLB suspension for excessive use of a grip-enhancing substance.
German told reporters he plans to use less rosin against the Mariners.
"You have to do something different because what I did before got me ejected from the game," German said through an interpreter. "Probably go back to previous years before where I used it way less."
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