Seattle

It's no secret: The Seattle Mariners regained relevance last season due in large part to their starting rotation.

As general manager Jack Zduriencik puts the finishing touches on 2015's roster, however, that may not hold so true as the M's make their first playoff push since the early 2000s.

Last year's rotation was a veteran-laden group of pitchers, complemented by rookie surprise Roenis Elias and a revolving door that was the No. 5 spot. There's more unknown about the 2015 group, but there's far more potential, too.

That comes when you're expected to run out three pitchers with a year or less of major league experience on their resumes. Let's take a look at the group of six pitchers battling for the five rotation spots.

Name	'14 IP	'14 W-L	'14 fWAR	'14 FIP	Proj. '15 fWAR	Proj. '15 FIP
Felix Hernandez	256.0	15-6	6.2	2.56	4.6	2.75
Hisashi Iwakuma	179.0	15-9	3.2	3.25	3.0	3.42
Roenis Elias	163.2	10-12	1.4	4.03	1.2	4.11
J.A. Happ	158.0	11-11	1.3	4.27	1.2	4.13
James Paxton	74.0	6-4	1.3	3.28	1.6	3.88
Taijuan Walker*	38.0	2-3	0.4	3.68	0.3*	4.18

All stats via FanGraphs and projections by Steamer.

*Steamer projects 48.0 IP for Walker, resulting in lower projected WAR.

One thing the Mariners have going for them is the top of their rotation. They possess a perennial Cy Young candidate and one of the most effective No. 2s in baseball and certainly the American League West. However, just one pitcher in the projected rotation threw 200 innings last season.

The Atlanta Braves teams of the mid-1990s set the standard for the modern major league rotation: Combine for at least 1,000 innings from the starters. Excluding Walker, this group combined for just 830.2 last season—that's a big jump to make for young pitchers.

Felix Hernandez is a relatively known commodity. Barring injury, the King will throw more than 200 innings of exceptional baseball. The rest, however, are more mysterious. Yes, even Hisashi Iwakuma.

In his five September starts last season, Iwakuma allowed 21 runs (all earned) in 23.2 innings. He averaged fewer than five innings per start.

At 33 years old, Iwakuma is exiting his prime years and entering the back end of his career. In 2013, his second MLB season, he threw a career-high 219.2 innings—don't expect those kinds of numbers again. Iwakuma could hit 200, but he only did so twice—201.2 and 201.0—in his 10-year Nippon Professional Baseball career.

That's not to cool anyone's jets on the Mariners' chances in 2015. By all means, they are the favorites in the AL West. And they have the luxury of starting pitching depth, which could alleviate the need for their young starters to drastically increase their innings.

It's essentially the same group as last season, except with J.A. Happ replacing Chris Young. Regardless of your thoughts on the Michael Saunders-Happ trade (here are Lookout Landing's Matt Ellis'), it provided the M's a more projectable middle-of-the-rotation starter. 

Young was a huge surprise last season, but that sparkling 3.65 ERA can't be expected to be maintained for another season, especially not with a 5.02 FIP. Young remains unsigned on the free-agent market.

It doesn't sound like Happ will need to compete for his rotation spot.

"We didn’t acquire J.A. Happ to pitch in the bullpen," manager Lloyd McClendon told reporters at the winter meetings. "We gave up an everyday player for a starting pitcher. We expect him to be in the rotation."

A spring training battle is unavoidable, though. Barring injury, there are six starters for five spots. There's another name in the mix, too: Erasmo Ramirez.

The 24-year-old right-hander has had stints with the big league club every season since 2010. Each one has been progressively worse, though—not what you want to see from a young pitcher. Those results have resulted in Ramirez having exercised all of his options. 

This forces the Mariners' hand a bit. Based on previous results, he shouldn't be in the competition for the rotation. But he's also still a young pitcher, who has had limited major league success—usually a commodity organizations don't want to give up.

But in order to keep him and not on the big club, he'll have to pass through waivers.

Ramirez would likely be claimed, so if the Mariners don't want to lose him, they could either keep him as a long reliever and spot starter or their No. 5 starter.

Although the decision seems trivial on the surface—keep or cut a mediocre MLB pitcher—it will result in a domino effect.

If Ramirez makes the roster, that's one of 25 spots, and at most, one of 13 pitchers' spots. It means whoever of that aforementioned group of six doesn't make the rotation will almost certainly start the season at Triple-A Tacoma.

The rotation is similar to the team, as a whole. It's safe to be excited—you should—but do so with cautious optimism. Personnel-wise, this is an upgraded group. However, it may not outperform last year's because, well, last year's significantly outperformed its talent level.

With so many variables in the rotation and significant upgrades offensively, the Mariners, for the first time in about a decade, could find themselves relying on their bats rather than their arms.

Evan Webeck is a junior at Arizona State University, studying journalism at the Walter Cronkite School. He's interned at Sports Illustrated and covered ASU football. Follow him on Twitter or email him at ewebeck@asu.edu.

The San Francisco 49ers have fallen on hard times in recent weeks, and Sunday, they will be faced with the utmost of challenges—traveling up north to take on the 9-4 Seattle Seahawks in Week 15.

For the first time in the Jim Harbaugh era, the 49ers are 10-plus-point underdogs per Odds Shark. 

It's not hard to understand why.

San Francisco isn't playing well. At all. Last week's loss to the previously 1-11 Oakland Raiders might have been the lowest point of the season. Combine that with the front-office flurry that has surrounded Harbaugh, general manager Trent Baalke and CEO Jed York, and it's not hard to see how the consternation has worked its way onto the field.

And then there is the play of the offense—a unit that has averaged a mere 12.25 points over its last four contests.

The problems are many. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman's play-calling, the offensive line, quarterback Colin Kaepernick and others have all been called into question.

Add that to San Francisco's challenge of playing at CenturyLink Field—a venue where recent history has not been kind—and it's not hard to suggest this will be a recipe for disaster.

The Opponent

The Seahawks are playing about as well as any NFL team right now. Seattle is riding a three-game winning streak, including a 19-3 embarrassment of the 49ers at Levi's Stadium on Thanksgiving.

Over that stretch, Seattle has given up just 20 points and allowed a mere 507 total yards. That's an average of only 169 all-purpose yards per game.

As per usual, the Seahawks defense has emerged as the predominant force—one that is even more potent at home. Only two teams—the Arizona Cardinals a year ago and the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6—have been able to knock off the Seahawks at CenturyLink.

Seattle is No. 1 in the NFL with an average of 274.2 yards allowed per game. Its defense also ranks No. 4 against the run, and the vaunted "Legion of Boom" is ranked No. 1.

"Their defense is great," Kaepernick said via Taylor Price of 49ers.com. "They do a lot of things well, and it's always good competition out there. You have to be able to rise to those occasions."

That defense forced one of Kaepernick's worst outings of the quarterback's career when these teams last met. He threw for a meager 121 yards and two interceptions during Week 13's contest.

On offense, Seattle continues to stand by its run-first, run-heavy approach. 

Running back Marshawn Lynch continues to be the driving force, having amassed 1,042 yards on the season. As a team, the Seahawks move the ball on the ground better than any other in the NFL. They currently rank No. 1 with an average of 170.1 rushing yards per game.

While their passing offense isn't exactly lethal, quarterback Russell Wilson was able to take advantage of San Francisco's defense two weeks ago. This included a 63-yard completion to tight end Tony Moeaki that led to Seattle's second score.

Wilson's passing abilities, combined with his maneuverability in and out of the pocket, create a legitimate challenge for any defense.

Offense: Getting Back to Basics

Nothing is going right for the 49ers on offense.

At no point was this further revealed than in the embarrassing 24-13 loss to the Raiders last week. Kaepernick being off target is an understatement. He completed just 151 passing yards with one touchdown against two interceptions against one of the league's worst defenses.

On top of the inaccuracy and poor decision-making, the offense lacked any sort of continuity or rhythm—an aspect that has been widespread over the course of the season.

“I don’t feel like we’re us,” running back Frank Gore said via Tyler Emerick of 49ers.com. “It’s hard to get in a rhythm. As players, you have to be in a rhythm to be successful on the field. It’s been tough all year.”

Gore averaged 5.3 yards per carry but only touched the ball 12 times against one of the poorest run defenses in the NFL.

Such statistics highlight the overall ineptitude of San Francisco's offense. The 49ers are toward the bottom in offensive statistics, and their once-reliable running game is toward the middle of the pack having not been used to the best extent.

So what can the 49ers do to correct things in short order?

There really isn't any answer, at least not one that would involve a complete shake-up from top to bottom.

But there are some fixes that can be made to give San Francisco a fighting chance.

Former 49ers tight end Brent Jones joined KNBR 680's Mr. T Show on Tuesday and stressed the need to get back to basics—focus on what the offense does well and with what it is most comfortable.

ICYMI: A fired up Brent Jones vented some frustration on this years #49ers team. http://t.co/AZAHPYKS5Q pic.twitter.com/6Z0qoYkYbw

— KNBR (@KNBR) December 10, 2014

He stressed that this would be a way to restore some confidence in what appears to be a broken Kaepernick, and the approach would rely more on the offense's strengths rather than complicating things with a convoluted scheme.

But ultimately, this will fall upon Roman and Harbaugh to simplify the play-calling. It would be beneficial to do so given the atmosphere in Seattle, but should anyone realistically expect this after what has been witnessed in 2014?

The burden will also fall upon Kaepernick and the players themselves. Simplified and/or creative calls will only mean so much if those players can't execute them.

Such will be the test on Sunday.

Defense: Focus on Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson

Seattle's primary offensive playmakers are Lynch and Wilson. While there are other weapons, these two should be the lone focal points San Francisco's defense looks to limit.

The Seahawks will move the ball on the ground. That's a guarantee. Lynch posted 104 rushing yards in Week 13 against the 49ers. Stopping him will be the utmost priority.

But as rookie linebacker Chris Borland found out, such a task isn't easy. Tackling Lynch essentially involves slowing him down at the point of attack and then getting the added help from nearby defenders.

https://twitter.com/UReady4Football/status/538186422520258560

It's easier said than done.

Wilson's mobility also creates a problem. While lacking a deep cast of bona fide receiving threats, Wilson's rushing capabilities open up a slew of concerns with which the defense will have to contend. Perhaps we may see an additional spy from San Francisco's linebackers if the defense can muster any sort of pressure.

That pressure was widely absent during the 49ers' loss to the Raiders a week ago. Oakland quarterback Derek Carr wasn't sacked and was able to pick apart a thin 49ers secondary in the process.

But San Francisco did sack Wilson four times in Week 13. Seattle has given up 33 sacks on the year—13th most in the league—which suggests the Seahawks O-line is vulnerable.

Linebackers Aldon Smith and Aaron Lynch had a quiet showing against Oakland. Their pass-rushing prowess will be needed if the 49ers hope to generate any sort of pressure against Wilson. The return of linebacker Ahmad Brooks and, potentially, nose tackle Glenn Dorsey will help reinforce these efforts.

Turn the Negatives into Positives

San Francisco's 2014 campaign may be all but finished. But the optimistic view reveals that the 49ers are still in contention for a playoff spot.

Just barely.

For all the talk that has followed the 49ers in recent weeks, there remains a chance to at least make a statement against a hated rival—to say that this team is better than the way it has played in 2014.

This calls for everyone—the coaches and the players—to have one last stretch where they all can be on the same page.

Jones also stated during his KNBR appearance that he wanted to see which players "showed up" to play this Sunday, suggesting that would reveal a lot about the character of the guys within the locker room.

For Kaepernick, this will mean exercising the demons that have plagued him against Seattle. It will also mean using his recent media frenzy as a learning experience, regardless of how he plays on the field. But playing an effective game, making the correct decisions and impacting the game in a positive way will also be critical.

It hasn't exactly been his forte as of late.

But the rest of the team has to follow suit. The O-line, so beleaguered with injuries and underwhelming play, will need to get back to the tough, physical style for which it was once known. Receiving targets like Michael Crabtree and Anquan Boldin could also make their marks.

Heck, it would be nice to see tight end Vernon Davis as a part of the solution.

The 49ers have a recent nasty habit of playing down to their competition. The New York Giants, Washington Redskins and Raiders are prime examples. They haven't exactly risen to the occasion against superior opponents either.

Now would be the time to offer up one last shot against the foes from up north—to rise up and meet the scenario without leaving anything on the field.

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.

Peter Panacy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the San Francisco 49ers. Be sure to check out his entire archive on 49ers news, insight and analysis.

Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter.

Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos will enter CenturyLink Field with a perfect 2-0 record and with revenge on their minds.

They have spent significant dollars in free agency to upgrade a defense that surrendered 27 of the Seattle Seahawks' 43 points in the Super Bowl. Injured players such as Ryan Clady and Von Miller have returned to the fold. The superficial assumption would be that Denver is a much better team than the one Seattle walloped in February.

Dig a little deeper, and there are legitimate questions about whether the improvements the Broncos targeted in the offseason have actually translated onto the field.

When the Seahawks Are on Defense

The Broncos' record-breaking 2013 offense averaged 42.9 points per game in their first eight games and scored at least 33 points in each game. They have not scored 33 points or more in any of their last five games, dating back to the playoffs last season.

In fact, they enter this game against the Seahawks averaging fewer points (27.5) than the Seahawks (28.5), despite Seattle's offense only seeing the field for 40 snaps and 17 minutes against the San Diego Chargers.  

Manning appears to be playing even more efficiently than last year. His passer rating is up from 115.1 to 126.5, but he is well off his 2013 pace in a few key areas. Most notably, his pass attempts per game are down from 41.2 last year to 31 per game this year, and his yards per game have followed suit. He is averaging 255.5 yards per game this year compared to 342.3 last year.

The culprit does not appear to be a drop-off in his play or even in the passing offense. The running game is not what it was with Knowshon Moreno off to Miami, and the defense is struggling to get off the field.

Denver is ranked 24th in rushing yards and 25th in yards per carry, according to TeamRankings.com. They will face a Seattle run defense that ranks fourth in the league in opponent yards per carry (3.1), and that has consistently played better in front of their rowdy hometown fans. 

Manning is always difficult to sack, but Cliff Avril, Chris Clemons and Michael Bennett made the pocket very uncomfortable in the Super Bowl by bull rushing in nearly every passing situation.

Manning rushed some throws, and that led to two interceptions. Throwing interceptions is one of the only differences in Manning's game on the road compared to when he plays at home. He has 25 more interceptions over the course of his career on the road than at home in two fewer games, per Pro-Football-Reference.com.

Seattle has been a house of horrors for opposing quarterbacks where their lightning-quick pass-rushers can get a jump on linemen, and their All-Pro laden secondary can feast on mistakes. Even the best in the game have been unable to overcome the atmosphere and the Seahawks defense. Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers are a combined 0-5 in CenturyLink Field since 2012. 

When the Seahawks Are on Offense

Lost in all the talk about Seattle's poor defensive performance last weekend was the second straight impressive outing from the offense. Russell Wilson and the Seahawks lead the NFL in points per play and are third in yards per play, according to TeamRankings.com. Their vaunted running game is more explosive than it has ever been. How explosive?

They had 108 yards rushing on just 13 carries this past week. Even subtracting Percy Harvin's long touchdown run left the team at nearly five yards per carry.

J.R. Sweezy, Max Unger and James Carpenter are combining to create one of the most powerful interior run-blocking units in the NFL. Kansas City found some success running up the middle, despite losing star Jamaal Charles early in the game. Marshawn Lynch, Robert Turbin and possibly even secret weapon Christine Michael will present a much stiffer test for a Broncos run defense that is mediocre so far. 

Denver's defensive line, outside of Terrance Knighton, is built to rush the passer.

The linebacker unit is still missing starter Danny Trevathan. He was among the best defenders for Denver in the Super Bowl, when he tallied 12 tackles and a tackle for loss. Brandon Marshall has stepped in with 18 tackles and a sack in his two starts, but he was caught out of position a few times against the Kansas City Chiefs, leading to long runs.

Seattle receivers were an underappreciated part of the Super Bowl victory and are likely to have mismatches to exploit, even with Aqib Talib joining the Broncos secondary.

The Seahawks can go five- or six-deep at the receiver position and also have tight-end threats in Zach Miller and Luke Willson. Although, look for at least one tight end to be left in to help rookie right tackle Justin Britt against Von Miller much of the game.

Key Matchup: Wes Welker vs. Marcus Burley

John Breech of CBSSports.com reports that Welker is expected back this week when the NFL and NFLPA can agree on the revised drug policy. Denver will eagerly look to isolate him against the Seahawks' unproven nickel corner. Burley has some good and bad moments in his first start versus San Diego, but he will undoubtedly have his biggest professional test this week.

Key Matchup: Doug Baldwin vs. Bradley Roby

Percy Harvin will demand attention in the slot, leaving Doug Baldwin facing the rookie corner when Seattle is in three-receiver sets. Baldwin has yet to get untracked in his new split-end role and could easily be overlooked by a Broncos defense thinking about Lynch and Harvin. 

Key Matchup: Kam Chancellor/K.J. Wright vs. Julius Thomas

Stopping Thomas will be a point of pride for Wright and Chancellor after Antonio Gates had a field day in San Diego. Thomas is a great athlete, but there is only one Gates. 

Key Matchup: Demaryius Thomas vs. Richard Sherman

Much has been made of the Seahawks' unwillingness to allow Sherman to follow the opposing teams' top receiver around the field. This may be the game to break that rule. A Thomas-Sherman matchup would be epic.

If only one word could describe Felix Hernandez's performance this season, it would be "dominant."

As King Felix exited Monday night's game against the Toronto Blue Jays, he came away with a stat line of seven innings pitched, three hits, one earned run and eight strikeouts. Perhaps he would have gone longer if the Seattle Mariners had not been ahead by a score of 11-1.

And so, Hernandez continued his awe-inspiring streak.

What streak is that you ask? Well, for 16 straight starts, Hernandez has gone at least seven innings while allowing two earned runs or less. He broke Tom Seaver's record of 13 straight such starts in 1971 three starts ago. In fact, it has been exactly four months since Hernandez has allowed more than two runners to cross the plate. On May 12 he surrendered four runs to the Tampa Bay Rays.

In the 16 starts Hernandez is now 8-2 with a 1.41 ERA and 134 punch outs. The M's are 12-4 in that span.

Overall, the King is having a royal season, one that will almost certainly earn himself some hardware. After Monday's win, Hernandez is now 13-3 with a 1.95 ERA. Opposing hitters are making fools of themselves, as they are batting just .191 against him. Not to mention he has struck out 194 of those guys.

The Mariners ace finds himself among the best in just about every major pitching category. No pitcher in the American League has more Baseball-Reference Wins Above Replacement (6.0) than Hernandez, who also leads the majors in Adjusted Pitching Wins (4.6) and is tied for the lead with 25 starts. His wins, ERA, strikeouts, WHIP (0.86), H/9 (6.139), innings pitched (180.1), Adjusted ERA (191) and Fielding Independent Pitching (2.07) are all second best in the majors.

The 28-year-old also find himself in the top 10 in BB/9, K/9, K/BB and HR/9. Only six other pitchers in baseball have faced more hitters than Hernandez (686).

On its own, the body of work Hernandez has put together this season is nothing short of brilliant. Now, add in the fact that the Mariners are vying for a playoff berth, and Hernandez's dominance becomes all the more special and meaningful. If he keeps doing what he is doing, the Mariners have a chance to make the postseason for the first time in over a decade.

As of now, Hernandez is the clear-cut favorite to bring home the American League Cy Young Award. Despite the impressive seasons of others, no one can touch what he has done to this point.

Come the stretch run, fans at Safeco Field will be showering the pitcher with MVP chants as yellow King Felix K signs fill the seats.

If the Mariners are still playing in October, Hernandez may just get both awards.

All stats were obtained via Baseball-Reference.com.

Question or comments? Feel free to follow me on Twitter @GPhillips2727 to talk Major League Baseball.