Kuzul

Everything looked a bit different on Opening Day today as I watched the Mariners after six months of waiting. Maybe it was because of the new ROOT Sports look instead of FSN. Maybe it was all the changes the M’s had made to their team in the offseason.

Maybe it was the fact that we were missing Dave Niehaus and his sweet, sweet voice…I found my eyes misty as I watched the pre-game Opening Day introduction narrated by Niehaus.

Or maybe it was that the Mariners actually had some offense tonight (too soon?). Regardless, there were some positive signs to build from after tonight’s ball game.

The M’s stranded several runners early on, but showed great patience at the plate.

Oakland A’s starter Trevor Cahill lasted just 4 2/3 innings, throwing a whopping 105 pitches, as the Mariners hitters forced the ace to exit early and then capitalized on the weak bullpen.

“[Eric Wedge] was in the dugout telling us, ‘We’re knocking on the door. Keep going, keep grinding,’ ” Mariners DH Jack Cust said.

Chone Figgins showed a rare flash of power as he cranked a solo shot off reliever Craig Breslow in the sixth inning, putting the M’s ahead and matching his entire season home run total from last year.

After a Cust walk and a Justin Smoak double in the seventh, Oakland’s defensive play melted down and allowed the Mariners to score three easy runs to widen the lead to 6-2.

M’s batters walked a combined seven times, demonstrating outstanding patience and an ability to put up runs and make King Felix’s night much easier.

Speaking of Felix Hernandez (or should I say ‘Larry Bernandez’?), the ace picked up right where he left off after his Cy Young-winning campaign last season.

After an understandably shaky first inning in which he gave up a two-run shot to Josh Willingham, Felix settled down and retired 24 of the next 27 batters.

Felix was dominant, allowing just five hits in all nine innings of work. He had ‘just’ five strikeouts, but got 15 ground-ball outs as he forced the A’s into submission.

“If you talk about Opening Day, you can’t ask for much more than that,” Wedge said of Felix’s performance.

Overall, the offense showed the potential for productivity. Ichiro did what he needed to by getting on base and stealing his way into scoring position. Smoak showed some pop as he belted a double to initiate the three-run seventh inning.

Miguel Olivo contributed well to the offense, going 2 for 5 with an RBI and showing that maybe the catcher position won’t be the black hole offensively that it was last season.

On Saturday, the A’s and M’s square off again as Jason Vargas faces Brett Anderson at 6:05 PT.

Notes:

Ichiro is one hit shy of tying Edgar Martinez’s franchise record of 2,247 hits.

Felix Hernandez was the first Mariner to throw a complete game on Opening Day.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Every year the Mariners come out with a new set of five or six commercials in which they feature their most exciting players.  This year we got to meet Larry Bernandez and watch Ichiro hit tic-tacs.  The marketing team always comes up with something pretty clever.

Here’s a look at some of the best:

Begin Slideshow

About a month ago, I wrote about some bold predictions for this upcoming Mariners season. In it, I said that Ichiro will win a batting title.

It really isn’t an insanely bold prediction since this is something entirely possible in any given season with Ichiro. That doesn’t make it something that is a lock, though, either.

I’ll expand on that prediction a bit, and give five reasons that show he can still do it.

Begin Slideshow

How do you fix a team that has lost 100 games twice in three seasons?

That’s the glaring question that general manager Jack Zduriencik and manager Eric Wedge are tasked with in 2011.

After a few nice trades and additions propelled the team a giant step forward in 2009, they took another giant step back in 2010. Though most assumed that ’09 team overachieved, the additions to the club last season led those same pundits to believe we’d at least see a similar outcome, perhaps even a better one.

With pitchers and catchers doing bullpen sessions and position players trickling in ahead of the mandatory report date this Friday, the team is getting a chance to have a hard, long look at their squad early.

It’s a good thing, too, because there are questions that must be answered post-haste.

Begin Slideshow

It’s time we all take a breather from worrying about the sports themselves and focus on the players involved. This article is written with the intent of recognizing that there are bigger things that we should be focusing on at this time in the world rather than sports. On 3/11/2011 an unprecedented 8.9 earthquake rocked the country of Japan. It brought devastation, injuries, life loss and widespread panic but that was only the beginning.

After the earthquake hit, a gigantic 23 foot tsunami tore throw the coastal areas of Northeastern Japan. The waves pushed inland as much as six miles in certain spots devouring everything and anything in their way. We are reminded how strong the forces of nature that are out of our control truly are. If you are reading this article now, then please take a moment of silence to meditate on this tragic event and to pray to God for the safety of Japan and it’s people.

We hope the worst is now in the past but danger still looms as nuclear meltdown is the newest concern in Japan thanks to damage at three nuclear power plants inflicted by the mega-quake and powerful tsunami. You may be asking yourself, “How could this terrible, horrific event possibly tie into sports?”

In this gigantic melting pot known as the United States of America, the land of the free and home of the brave, we have taken in many Japanese athletes as our own and have grown to respect them in the process. We have looked up to them, we have cheered their names and now it’s time we reach out and send our condolences to them, their families and their friends. Our hopes and prayers are with you and we are thankful to have you all here competing in our nation. May God Bless America, God Bless Japan and God bless the whole world.

Here is a brief slideshow that points out all active major leaguers that come from Japan. Be sure to pray for all of Japan and it’s people but say a special prayer for these major leaguers and their families as they take time away from baseball to focus on this tragedy.

Begin Slideshow

These are the players who I believe to be the top 20 fantasy baseball outfielders in the American League going into the 2011 season. 

Here are my other 2011 fantasy baseball rankings:

Top 50 Hitters

Top 35 Pitchers

Top 25 First Basemen

Top 25 Second Basemen

Top 20 Shortstops

Top 20 Third Basemen

Top 15 Catchers w/ Analysis

Top 20 NL Outfielders w/ Analysis

Begin Slideshow

What makes a great leadoff hitter?

Getting on base at a high rate is a good start, but everyone in the lineup is expected to do that. A good eye always helps, but he shouldn’t be afraid to swing. Speed is a bonus, but some of the fastest players in baseball hit at the bottom of the batting order.

The truth is that there’s no formula for the perfect leadoff hitter. Every player approaches the game differently and every team has a different offensive style.

But, that doesn’t diminish the importance of the leadoff man.

These 30 hitters are their team’s respective table-setters, responsible for getting their club off to a good start and rallying their teammates to victory. They may not get the attention of the star slugger or the ace of the pitching staff, but a good leadoff hitter can be the difference between a postseason berth and an October date with the couch.

So here are my rankings of baseball’s top leadoff men and what to expect from them next season. As always, share your thoughts below. 

Begin Slideshow

2011 is finally here, which means we can forget about the disaster that was 2010.

We know that the Mariners won’t be very good this season. We could focus on that, but I think our time could be better spent looking at where the team is headed.

Prospects Dustin Ackley and Michael Pineda should make their debuts this season. Justin Smoak will try to take a step forward in his age 24 season. Michael Saunders and Adam Moore hope to improve and remind us of why they were interesting prospects. King Felix will hold court and Ichiro will be Ichiro.

There are plenty of things to look forward to in this 2011 campaign, and payroll relief will arrive next season.

Below you’ll find a table of contents with links for your convenience.

Slide 02: Player Profiles

Slide 27: Prospects to Watch

Slide 30: Coaching Staff

Slide 38: Bold Predictions

Slide 43: Division Rivals

Slide 46: Team Projection

Begin Slideshow

Our 2011 fantasy baseball projections will be released one-by-one until the top 100 players have been revealed. These rankings consider past achievements, current performance and expected future results based on standard 5×5 H2H settings.

Ichiro’s value has declined in recent seasons thanks to the lack of a true run-producer in the Mariners lineup. After averaging 111 runs per season from 2001 to 2008, Ichiro has scored just 88 and 74 runs in each of the last two seasons.

The acquisitions of Jack Cust, Miguel Olivio, and the potential that Justin Smoak and Dustin Ackley bring, however, could help Ichiro reach 100 runs in 2011. This would go a long way in solidifying his spot among fantasy’s top 50 players.

Ichiro’s run-scoring totals, however, aren’t were his value lies. There’s something to be said about a player who can steal 40 bases and compete for a batting title each season.

Despite entering his age-37 season, Ichiro has maintained a stolen base percentage above 80 in recent years. Given that he’s averaged 39 steals over the last five seasons, there’s no reason to think he can’t push for 40 again in 2011.

Ichiro has remained among the league-leaders in contact rate (89.1 percent in 2010, MLB average 80.7 percent), and has hit .350 twice in the last four years.

Given an improved lineup, Ichiro remains capable of leading the league in at-bats and plate appearances, posting 100 runs, 40 steals and single-handedly winning the batting average category for you each week. Not many players can say that. Ichiro is our 14th-ranked outfielder, No. 45 overall.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: FANTASY BASEBALL INSIDERS

Fantasy Baseball Insiders’ 2011 Big Board:

• Nos. 1-10: Is Pujols Still The Top Pick?
• Nos. 11-20: Where Do Votto, A-Rod and Halladay Fit In?
• Nos. 21-30: Hernandez, Lincecum or Wainwright?
• Nos. 31-40: Heyward, Upton or McCutchen?
• No. 41: Clayton Kershaw
• No. 42: Alex Rios
• No. 43: Brian McCann
• No. 44: Drew Stubbs

MLB Trades: Fantasy Impact:

• Frank Francisco Traded to the Blue Jays, Who Will Be The Team’s Closer?
• Mike Napoli Traded to the Texas Rangers: Fantasy Impact
• Vernon Wells Traded to the Los Angeles Angels: Fantasy Impact
• Adrian Beltre Traded to the Texas Rangers: Fantasy Impact

Previous articles from Fantasy Baseball Insiders:

• Guerrero to Baltimore: Why He’s Better Off in Camden Yards than Rangers Ballpark
• The Sub-2.50 ERA Curse: Why Five Elite Starting Pitchers May Regress in 2011
• 2010 Batting Average on Balls in Play Leaders: What to Expect in 2011?
• 2011 Closer’s Corner: Papelbon, Cordero & Rivera Are the Only Reliable Options

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Defense may not be the most entertaining part of a baseball game, but it is certainly important.

We tend to only recognize when players make outstanding defensive plays, and fans will always criticize players for making defensive mistakes.

The following slides will show you who is truly the best defensive team in baseball based on a number of factors.

The methodology is as follows: Teams were ranked from No. 1 to 30 based on statistics from the 2010 season. The lower the better.

The categories considered were UZR, stolen bases allowed, Total Zone (TZ) and Gold Gloves. One point was deducted for each Gold Glove winner and two were deducted for each Fielding Bible winner.

This difference is because the Fielding Bible award is based on more quantitative information.

Begin Slideshow