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Mariners vs. Angels: Can Seattle Dominate the Angels?
Mariners vs. Angels Series Preview: A Beginner’s Guide to What’s Happening
Welcome to the Ballpark (Even If It’s a Bit Scary)
Imagine you’re standing on a stage in front of a huge, angry crowd. Everyone is yelling things at you — some people are mad at the coaches, some are mad at the players, and some are just mad in general. Then someone throws a mountain of garlic fries at you. Then people start chucking little stuffed animals called "Humpys" until you’re buried under a pile of them and can barely breathe.
That’s basically what being a Mariners fan feels like right now. The team has been struggling, and the fans are not happy. But here’s the good news: the Mariners are about to play the Angels this week, and the Angels are having an even worse season. Sometimes, when things are tough, you just need to play a team that’s having an even tougher time. That’s the Angels’ job right now.
At a Glance: The Series Schedule
Here’s when and where the games are happening:
| Game | Time | Mariners Starter | Angels Starter | Mariners Win% | Angels Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Monday, June 29 | 6:40 pm | RHP George Kirby | RHP Ryan Johnson | 66.2% | 33.8% |
| Game 2 | Tuesday, June 30 | 6:40 pm | RHP Bryan Woo | RHP José Soriano | 63.0% | 37.0% |
| Game 3 | Wednesday, July 1 | 1:00 pm | Bryce Miller | Walbert Ureña | 59.0% | 41.0% |
| Game 4 | Thursday, July 2 | 6:40 pm | RHP Bryce Miller | RHP Walbert Ureña | 65.2% | 34.8% |
Important Point: The "Win%" column is a prediction of how likely each team is to win. The Mariners are favored in every single game — sometimes by a lot!
Team Overview: Who’s Better at What?
Let’s break down how these two teams compare in different areas:
| Category | Mariners | Angels | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batting (wRC+) | 101 (8th in AL) | 99 (10th in AL) | Mariners |
| Fielding (FRV) | -22 (14th) | -24 (15th) | Mariners |
| Starting Pitching (FIP-) | 88 (2nd) | 98 (8th) | Mariners |
| Bullpen (FIP-) | 88 (2nd) | 109 (12th) | Mariners |
What do these weird numbers mean?
- wRC+ measures how good a team is at hitting. A score of 100 is average. The Mariners are slightly above average (101), and the Angels are slightly below (99).
- FRV measures fielding. Negative numbers mean below average. Both teams are bad at fielding, but the Angels are a tiny bit worse.
- FIP- measures pitching. Lower is better (like golf!). The Mariners have excellent pitching (88 is really good). The Angels’ bullpen is especially bad (109 is well above average, which is bad for pitching).
Important Point: The Mariners have the edge in every single category. Their pitching staff is one of the best in the American League, while the Angels’ pitching has been a mess.
The Angels’ Hitters: Who Should You Worry About?
Here’s a look at the Angels’ key players:
| Player | Position | Bats | PA | K% | BB% | ISO | wRC+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zach Neto | SS | R | 371 | 32.3% | 10.5% | 0.219 | 110 |
| Denzer Guzman | 3B | R | 73 | 20.5% | 8.2% | 0.179 | 115 |
| Nolan Schanuel | 1B | L | 278 | 14.7% | 8.3% | 0.129 | 103 |
| Jorge Soler | DH | R | 264 | 31.8% | 9.8% | 0.196 | 99 |
| Wade Meckler | LF | L | 112 | 22.3% | 11.6% | 0.131 | 120 |
| Jo Adell | RF | R | 354 | 23.2% | 2.8% | 0.152 | 91 |
| Donovan Walton | 2B | L | 89 | 19.1% | 3.4% | 0.188 | 133 |
| Logan O’Hoppe | C | R | 198 | 24.2% | 7.1% | 0.112 | 80 |
| Josh Lowe | CF | L | 146 | 28.8% | 4.1% | 0.146 | 60 |
The big takeaway: Mike Trout — the Angels’ biggest star — is injured and won’t play in this series. That’s huge. Without him, the Angels’ offense is pretty thin. Zach Neto is their most annoying player (in a good way for them), but after him, there just aren’t a lot of scary hitters.
Important Point: Mike Trout is out with a hamstring injury. He’s been on the injured list since June 18. This makes the Angels’ offense much easier to handle.
Game 1: George Kirby vs. Ryan Johnson
The Matchup
| Pitcher | IP | K% | BB% | HR/FB% | GB% | ERA | FIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Johnson (Angels) | 19.1 | 16.5% | 9.9% | 17.9% | 34.3% | 8.84 | 6.31 |
| George Kirby (Mariners) | 96 | 20.9% | 5.7% | 9.3% | 49.0% | 3.94 | 3.35 |
What this means: George Kirby is really good. Ryan Johnson has been really, really bad this year. His ERA (Earned Run Average — how many runs he allows per game) is 8.84, which is terrible. Kirby’s is 3.94, which is solid.
Who Is Ryan Johnson?
Ryan Johnson is a young pitcher who the Angels have mismanaged. Here’s his story:
- He was drafted in 2024 and was so good in college that the Angels put him straight on the big league team — skipping the minor leagues entirely!
- That didn’t go well. He had a 7.36 ERA and got sent down to the minors.
- He did well in the minors, so they brought him back up.
- His first start this year was awful: 3.1 innings, 6 runs, 7 hits, 4 walks, only 2 strikeouts.
- He got injured, came back, pitched in relief, and then got sent back to the minors again.
- Now he’s back in the majors, and the Angels still don’t seem to know what they’re doing with him.
Important Point: Ryan Johnson has talent, but the Angels keep bouncing him between the majors and minors without a clear plan. That’s not how you develop a young pitcher.
Johnson’s Pitches
| Pitch | Usage vs Righties | Usage vs Lefties | Velocity | Stuff+ | Whiff+ | BIP+ | xwOBA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sinker | 45.9% | 26.1% | 92.2 mph | 84 | 30 | 113 | 0.424 |
| Cutter | 42.2% | 30.4% | 89.8 mph | 107 | 109 | 67 | 0.309 |
| Splitter | 11.9% | 43.5% | 84.3 mph | — | — | — | — |
| Sweeper | 41.3% | 6.0% | 79.3 mph | — | — | — | — |
Stuff+ measures how good a pitch is compared to average (100 is average). His sinker (84) is below average. His cutter (107) is above average. His splitter and sweeper don’t have enough data yet.
xwOBA measures how much damage hitters do against a pitch. Higher is worse for the pitcher. His sinker gets hit really hard (0.424).
Game 2: Bryan Woo vs. José Soriano
The Matchup
| Pitcher | IP | K% | BB% | HR/FB% | GB% | ERA | FIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| José Soriano (Angels) | 95 | 25.4% | 12.0% | 15.8% | 53.0% | 3.32 | 4.21 |
| Bryan Woo (Mariners) | 93 | 24.6% | 4.8% | 7.4% | 35.8% | 4.26 | 3.06 |
What this means: This is a much more even matchup. Soriano has a better ERA (3.32 vs 4.26), but Woo has a better FIP (3.06 vs 4.21). FIP is often a better predictor of future performance because it focuses on things the pitcher can control (strikeouts, walks, home runs).
Who Is José Soriano?
José Soriano is a weird pitcher. Here’s what makes him interesting:
- He throws really hard (his fastball is 97+ mph).
- He has three pitches that miss a lot of bats (high "whiff" rates).
- He gets a ton of groundballs (53% — one of the highest rates in baseball).
- But he also walks a lot of batters (12% walk rate is very high).
- Last year, his ERA was better than his FIP (meaning he was lucky). This year, it’s the opposite — his ERA is worse than his FIP (meaning he’s been unlucky, or his defense has let him down).
- He’s recently started throwing his four-seam fastball and splitter more, and his sinker less. This has led to more strikeouts but also more walks and more hard contact.
Soriano’s Pitches
| Pitch | Usage vs Righties | Usage vs Lefties | Velocity | Stuff+ | Whiff+ | BIP+ | xwOBA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four-seam | 22.2% | 25.0% | 97.3 mph | 96 | 102 | 69 | 0.414 |
| Sinker | 29.1% | 23.5% | 96.5 mph | 106 | 164 | 89 | 0.388 |
| Splitter | 9.3% | 29.6% | 92.3 mph | 102 | 124 | 102 | 0.218 |
| Curveball | 29.3% | 21.0% | 85.3 mph | 95 | 145 | 94 | 0.255 |
| Slider | 10.1% | 1.0% | 90.2 mph | — | — | — | — |
His splitter is his best pitch — very few hitters get good contact against it (0.218 xwOBA). His four-seamer gets hit hard (0.414 xwOBA).
Game 3: Bryce Miller vs. Walbert Ureña
The Matchup
| Pitcher | IP | K% | BB% | HR/FB% | GB% | ERA | FIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walbert Ureña (Angels) | 71.2 | 22.0% | 11.8% | 8.1% | 54.5% | 3.14 | 3.84 |
| Bryce Miller (Mariners) | 45.2 | 33.1% | 3.1% | 14.9% | 38.2% | 1.97 | 3.06 |
What this means: Bryce Miller has been amazing this year. A 1.97 ERA is outstanding. He strikes out a ton of batters (33.1%) and almost never walks anyone (3.1%). Ureña is solid but not in the same league.
Who Is Walbert Ureña?
Walbert Ureña is a 22-year-old pitcher who’s still learning. Here’s what you should know:
- He’s similar to José Soriano: throws hard, relies on a sinker for groundballs, has good whiff pitches but doesn’t strike out as many batters as you’d expect, and doesn’t have great command.
- He’s young and still developing, which is actually promising for his future.
- He’s made big strides this year and has earned a regular spot in the Angels’ rotation.
Ureña’s Pitches
| Pitch | Usage vs Righties | Usage vs Lefties | Velocity | Stuff+ | Whiff+ | BIP+ | xwOBA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four-seam | 24.0% | 23.9% | 97.5 mph | 74 | 104 | 135 | 0.242 |
| Sinker | 50.5% | 29.1% | 97.6 mph | 111 | 143 | 107 | 0.401 |
| Changeup | 25.6% | 47.0% | 90.5 mph | 97 | 116 | 112 | 0.239 |
| Sweeper | 32.8% | 8.4% | 86.3 mph | 120 | 99 | 74 | 0.252 |
His four-seamer has below-average Stuff+ (74) but hitters don’t do much damage against it (0.242 xwOBA). His sinker has great Stuff+ (111) but gets hit hard (0.401 xwOBA). That’s a weird combination!
The Bigger Picture: AL West Standings
| Team | W-L | W% | Games Behind | Run Diff | Recent Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rangers | 42-42 | 0.500 | — | -8 | L-W-W-W-W |
| Mariners | 42-43 | 0.494 | 0.5 | +4 | L-L-W-L-L |
| Astros | 42-44 | 0.488 | 1.0 | -42 | W-W-L-W-W |
| Athletics | 40-44 | 0.476 | 2.0 | -54 | L-W-W-L-L |
| Angels | 36-49 | 0.424 | 6.5 | -36 | W-W-L-W-W |
What this means: The Mariners are in second place, just half a game behind the Rangers. The Angels are way back in last place, 6.5 games behind. The Mariners have been struggling lately (L-L-W-L-L means they lost 4 of their last 5), but the Angels aren’t much better.
AL Wild Card Standings
| Team | W-L | W% | Games Behind | Run Diff | Recent Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yankees | 48-35 | 0.578 | +7.0 | +101 | W-L-L-L-L |
| Guardians | 44-40 | 0.524 | +2.5 | -8 | L-W-L-W-W |
| Mariners | 42-43 | 0.494 | — | +4 | L-L-W-L-L |
| Astros | 42-44 | 0.488 | 0.5 | -42 | W-W-L-W-W |
| Athletics | 40-44 | 0.476 | 1.5 | -54 | L-W-W-L-L |
| Twins | 40-45 | 0.471 | 2.0 | -30 | L-L-W-L-W |
The Mariners are currently in the second Wild Card spot, which would get them into the playoffs. But it’s tight — the Astros are just half a game behind them.
Important Point: The Mariners need to start winning again to hold onto their playoff spot. Playing the Angels — the worst team in the division — is a great opportunity to do that.
Summary
Here’s everything you need to know in simple terms:
- The Mariners have been struggling, and the fans are frustrated. But they’re still in a good position — second in the AL West and in a Wild Card spot.
- The Angels are having a terrible season. They’re in last place, their star player (Mike Trout) is injured, and their pitching has been a mess.
- The Mariners are favored to win every game in this series. Their pitching staff is one of the best in the American League.
- Game 1 features George Kirby (really good) vs. Ryan Johnson (really struggling). This should be a Mariners win.
- Game 2 is more even — Bryan Woo vs. José Soriano. Both are good pitchers, but Woo’s underlying numbers are better.
- Game 3 features Bryce Miller (amazing this year) vs. Walbert Ureña (young and developing). Another Mariners advantage.
- The Mariners need to win these games to stay in the playoff race. The Rangers and Astros are right behind them.
FAQ
Q: Why are the Mariners fans so angry?
A: The Mariners have been playing below .500 baseball lately, and the fans are frustrated because the team has talented players but isn’t winning enough. When a team has great pitching but can’t score runs, it’s especially frustrating.
Q: Who is Mike Trout and why does it matter that he’s injured?
A: Mike Trout is one of the best baseball players in the world. He’s been the Angels’ star for over a decade. Without him, the Angels’ offense is much weaker, which makes the Mariners’ job a lot easier.
Q: What’s the difference between ERA and FIP?
A: ERA (Earned Run Average) measures how many runs a pitcher actually allows per game. FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) measures only the things a pitcher fully controls — strikeouts, walks, and home runs. FIP is often a better predictor of how a pitcher will perform in the future because it’s not affected by the defense behind them.
Q: What does "Stuff+" mean?
A: Stuff+ is a way to measure how good a pitcher’s pitches are compared to the league average. 100 is average. Above 100 means the pitch is better than average. Below 100 means it’s worse than average. It considers things like speed, movement, and spin.
Q: Can the Mariners make the playoffs?
A: Yes! They’re currently in a Wild Card spot, which would get them into the playoffs. But the race is close, and they need to start winning more consistently. This series against the Angels is a great chance to build some momentum.
