Mariners Spring Training: Shannon Drayer’s first observations

Greetings from Peoria, Ariz., which I will be calling home for the next 33 days as we bring you wall-to-wall coverage of Seattle Mariners spring training.

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Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk will be broadcasting from here next week and Wyman and Bob to follow, and it will be a somewhat different spring training as while there is not much change in terms of the roster, there is a change at the top with the manager with Dan Wilson running his first camp.

Since change is never more apparent than when you first set eyes on your subject, here are a few things that jumped out at me Day 1.

First observations

• It once again is a very large camp with 73 on the spring roster, and 72 in camp with Donovan Solano yet to report due to visa issues.

• The facilities themselves look different as work has been done in various places, most notably the batting cages, which now have garage door sides that can be opened or closed and a seating area in the back somewhat similar to what the Mariners have at home. The pitching area got a fairly major overhaul as well with the area formerly known as the “six pack” – six mounds under cover just off the back porch – now a four pack with the portable monitors they used previously to look at pitch data replaced by monitors that pitchers can see from the mound. I will have more on these and other changes in a video in the next day or two.

• This is not a “best shape of their lives” observation, but Andrés Muñoz and Luis Castillo stood out as looking different. Most players look great in spring training when you take into consideration where they were physically at the end of any given full season. The season takes a toll to the point where some actually look taller the next spring. Muñoz falls into that category plus perhaps being a little slimmer. Castillo, who spends his offseasons out on the ocean fishing, looks like he spent a good amount of time working as well, with team officials thrilled with the velocity they are seeing from him early in camp. For his part, Castillo said he did not do anything different with his offseason workout routine but he did catch his first marlin.

I call this one “Rock on Rock.” 🪨 pic.twitter.com/0maFe2YffR

— Shannon Drayer (@shannondrayer) February 20, 2025

• Really veteran presence. On hand and in uniform helping in camp are former Mariners players Alvin Davis, Ichiro, Jay Buhner, Franklin Gutierrez, Tom Wilhelmsen and Michael Saunders. Rick Griffin – the former longtime head athletic trainer who took care of all of the above plus Dan Wilson, Edgar Martinez and many, many more – has also been visiting camp this week.

Seattle Marines notes

• Left-hander Jhonathan Díaz will get the start in the Mariners’ Cactus League opener at 12:10 p.m. Friday against the Padres in Peoria. We will have the radio broadcast live on Seattle Sports starting at noon. We will not see one of the Mariners’ starting five until Game 4 of the spring as they are all being held back a bit to start. Dan Wilson has yet to announce an opening day starter. Pitchers who could pitch Friday following Díaz are Blas Castano, Cody Bolton, Will Klein, Drew Pomeranz, Jesse Hahn and Austin Kitchen.

Mariners Spring Training: Cactus League radio schedule

• Here’s a look at George Kirby pitching against Dylan Moore from Thursday.

Kirby throwing live. pic.twitter.com/nOZTEhF8FT

— Shannon Drayer (@shannondrayer) February 20, 2025

• The stadium in Peoria is one of five parks in the Cactus League with the automatic balls and strikes system in place as MLB looks to test out the challenge system and get input from big leaguers and staffs this spring.

Teams will start games with two challenges each with only the pitcher, catcher and hitter allowed to challenge. The challenge must be immediate and there can be no assistance from the dugout. If the challenges goes in favor of the team, the challenge is kept. If the call is shown to be correct, the challenge is lost. Because there are so few challenges, players need to be judicious in how they use them. There are counts and situations where it would not be advisable to risk losing the challenge.

How much of a focus has this been in camp?

“We haven’t talked about it much at all,” Wilson said. “To be honest for us, because it’s not a part of the season, it’s maybe not as big of a priority at this point. Obviously, should it become something that we’re going to do in the future then you’ve got to attack it a little bit differently.”

In other words, it shouldn’t be a distraction for the hitters this spring.

More on the Seattle Mariners

• Why Morosi calls Julio the most important player in the American League
• When the Mariners expect back two pitchers who missed 2024
• Bullpen prospect who could be next M’s hidden gem
• Takeaways: Mariners’ Cal Raleigh on Edgar, Gilbert, 2025 and more
• Rowland-Smith: Who should be Seattle Mariners’ opening day starter

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