The Seattle Mariners are in Peoria, Arizona, for Spring Training in preparation for the 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) season. The Mariners are hoping to build on their impressive 2022 season, which ended the team’s long playoff drought, and make another postseason run this year.
The team has added several new players to its 2023 roster, including outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, who was acquired through a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays. Hernandez, a two-time Silver Slugger and one-time All-Star, is expected to fill the void left by Mitch Haniger, who signed with the San Francisco Giants in the offseason.
Kolten Wong, a second baseman acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers, is another newcomer to the Mariners. Wong is expected to take over at second base for Seattle after Adam Frazier left for Baltimore during the offseason. The Mariners are also counting on the veteran player’s experience and leadership to help guide the team.
On the mound, reliever Trevor Gott signed as a free agent with the Mariners in November 2022 and is expected to be a key member of the team’s bullpen.
Aside from these new faces, the Mariners will have to navigate some new MLB rules that will impact games in 2023. The pitch clock will be enforced with a 30-second timer between batters, a 15-second timer between pitches with the bases empty, and a 20-second timer with runners on base, as it has been tested in the minor leagues. Another new rule requires defenses to have at least four players in the infield, two on each side of second base. Finally, the “ghost runner” rule, which requires a runner to start each extra inning after the ninth, will be reinstated for the 2023 regular season and playoffs.
With all of these changes and new players to follow, Mariners fans will be looking forward to the team’s first live game against the San Diego Padres on Friday as the team prepares for another exciting season of baseball.
