Seattle Mariners Midseason Grades: The Starters

The 2015 Seattle Mariners have sucked. Coming off a legitimately good season, the M’s seemed poised to at least threaten for a playoff spot. So far it’s not happening: their record is second-worst in the league, while their run differential is… also second-worst. Let’s celebrate our local tradition of baseball ineptitude by handing out some midseason report cards. Second up: the starters! Previous post: the relievers.

Jul 6, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma (18) tosses a drink cup in the dugout after being relieved for against the Detroit Tigers during the sixth inning at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Hisashi Iwakuma – 29.1 IP, 5.22 ERA, 6.21 FIP, -0.4 WAR

Iwakuma’s season has consisted of three awful, injury-riddled starts, a lengthy DL stint, an uninspiring return, and, most recently, a legitimately dominant outing. He’s been a disappointment so far, though it’s almost entirely due to the injury – his results were bad, sure, but those starts he made while hurt were arguably starts he had no business making in the first place. His season is really just now getting started, which ought to bode well for the future. Grade: C-