Seattle Mariners 2022 Playoffs: How the M’s starters stack up against Toronto

Later this week, the Seattle Mariners will face Toronto in the AL Wild Card Series. We break down the likely series pitching matchups.

Your 2022 Seattle Mariners are in the postseason. The biggest of the M’s droughts is over.

That’s droughts as in plural. The Mariners are the only Major League Baseball franchise yet to appear in the World Series. For Seattle to reach “The Fall Classic,” they will have to face a gauntlet of juggernaut offenses.

To beat down those juggernauts, M’s Manager Scott Servais must rely on one of the best rotations the Mariners have ever had.

Mariners – Jays Season Series

First up is the Blue Jays for a best-of-three series in Toronto. In 2022, Seattle is 5-2 against the Jays. The season series began in May when Seattle lost a three-game set in Toronto. Chris Flexen took the loss in Game 1, and Logan Gilbert dropped Game 2, 3-0. Marco Gonzales kept the bats at bay to avoid a sweep with a 5-1 win over Kevin Gausman.

In July, Toronto came to Seattle, and the results were completely different. The Seattle Mariners swept their North of the Border opponents in a 4-game series that began with Gonzales earning a win in the opener.

From there, the M’s bullpen earned wins in Games 2, 3, and 4. This happened in the middle of the 14-game win streak that propelled Seattle into the playoff conversation.

Likely Rotations

Seattle’s rotation is basically set at this point. It will be Luis Castillo, Robbie Ray, and Logan Gilbert (if necessary) to face Toronto. With George Kirby, Chris Flexen, and Gonzales available out of the bullpen if needed.

Toronto will likely counter with Alek Manoah, Ross Stripling, and Kevin Gausman. This is how their rotation is currently set up, and it’s hard to imagine the Jays deviating from this.