Mariners: Is James Paxton the Next Great Seattle Ace?
By Ben Renner
Mariners starter James Paxton is leading the American League in winning percentage and Earned Run Average after two starts. Could he be the best starter on the Mariners staff this year?
The Mariners got exactly what they needed yesterday from their Home Opener starter James Paxton, who pitched seven shutout innings en route to his first win of the season, helping fans forget about a forgettable first week of 2017. When the Mariners needed a stopper, Paxton stepped up and delivered an excellent performance.
It’s only two starts into the season, but Paxton has yet to give up a run in 13 innings and has struck out exactly one batter per inning. The hard-throwing lefty dominated the Astros, an American League West foe that seems to know what Mariners pitchers are going to throw before they throw it.
It’s far too early to anoint a new ace in Seattle after more than a decade of King Felix Hernandez taking the ball on Opening Days, but Hernandez wasn’t his normal dominant self (solid, but not dominant) last season. Time will tell if he can make further adjustments to make up for his falling pitch velocity, but the Mariners may have an heir apparent in their rotation already.
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For the first time in his career, Paxton started the season with a dedicated spot in the rotation. Still just 28, Paxton has entered into the prime of his physical skills. He’s throwing harder than ever, and after watching him locate that nasty fastball on both sides of the plate last night, he could overtake the King as the presumptive Seattle ace sooner than previously thought.
Paxton could obviously still succumb to his long injury history during the season, but early on, he appears to be in the proverbial best shape of his life. His 103 pitches last night are proof that manager Scott Servais is willing to let the Canadian pitch deep into games, showing confidence in his ability to stay healthy all season.
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With Hernandez possibly in decline and Hisashi Iwakuma turning 36 tomorrow, the time for Paxton to step into the ace role for the Mariners has never been more ripe. There’s no doubt he has the best overall ‘stuff’ of Seattle’s top three starters. If he stays healthy, we could look back at this season as Paxton’s breakout year, when he became the best starter on the Mariners’ roster.