Hisashi Iwakuma

[seahawksfan234]

I've got to say I feel like he is the real deal.

Watching him pitch the past few weeks I've got to say he has some really impressive stuff. As easy as it is to hammer Jack Z this was a real nice pickup.

 

[octagondd]

and we have him signed for two years and a club option for 2015. I like it very much. Now we need a solid #3. Hopefully Maurer, Hultzen or Erasmo can step up and be that guy at some point this year.

 

[unlvmariners]

and we have him signed for two years and a club option for 2015. I like it very much. Now we need a solid #3. Hopefully Maurer, Hultzen or Erasmo can step up and be that guy at some point this year.

Iwakuma does look very good right now. And he looked good last year. He is a smart pitcher and knows what pitches to use at what times.

Maurer still has that potential to be pretty good IMO. He pitches well in some innings and it usually seems to be 1 or 2 innings that end end up being huge innings. He still has some learning to do.

Erasmo on the other hand looked good last year. He is intriguing. But I don't think we would see him with the Mariners until mid-season at least. He hasn't been pitching at all this season been on the DL. Don't know the details about his DL stint.

Hultzen would also be a guy that would be looking at mid-season. Due to his injury and service time. Would be nice to see Paxton get locked in.

 

[blade]

I've got to say I feel like he is the real deal.

Watching him pitch the past few weeks I've got to say he has some really impressive stuff. As easy as it is to hammer Jack Z this was a real nice pickup.

Historically, Japanese pitchers who are new to the league, as Iwakuma basically still is, do very well the first time a team sees them. It's their second time through the league where they tend to run into trouble.

I think Iwakuma can throw 190 IPs, post a 3.30ish ERA and win 13-16 games. But there is no way that he is going stay at his current level. I just don't see it.

As for crediting Jack Z for finding him, I'm not too sure. I think Iwakuma wanted to be here and made it pretty easy for Jack.

 

[unlvmariners]

Blade, I think you are right, it would be really far fetched to see Iwakuma sustain what he has done to begin the season, shit it would be far fetched to see most pitchers sustain a start to a season like Iwakuma has no matter who you are.

Kuma took over a starting role in July last year and did very very well as a starter. He has started this year doing very very well also. Since he has been a starting pitcher in MLB he really hasn't had a truly terrible start yet (something like 20+ starts in his career). And I will take 190 IP and a 3.30 ERA, that is not bad and it seems realistic.

The fact still remains our 3, 4 and 5 starters at this point is still in the air. At least for this season.

Every time Harang, Saunders or Maurer go out there it is a coin flip on what kind of a start they will put out there. I have a lot of hope for future Maurer but he still has things to learn. Saunders can only pitch in safeco at this point. Harang is a national league pitcher and personally I think he is a waste of a time.

You can't be a winning team with 3 of your starting 5 being coin flips. Especially with the offense we have had the last few seasons.

 

[seahawksfan234]

Historically, Japanese pitchers who are new to the league, as Iwakuma basically still is, do very well the first time a team sees them. It's their second time through the league where they tend to run into trouble.

I think Iwakuma can throw 190 IPs, post a 3.30ish ERA and win 13-16 games. But there is no way that he is going stay at his current level. I just don't see it.

As for crediting Jack Z for finding him, I'm not too sure. I think Iwakuma wanted to be here and made it pretty easy for Jack.

By real deal that is what I meant. Around 190 IP and a low 3 ERA. Right now the pace he is going at would be ridiculous for him to keep up, but I think he is showing to be a very nice addition.

 

[blade]

Rotation stats breakdown:
Team record when Felix or Iwakuma pitch: 9-5
When Beavan/Harang, Maurer, Saunders pitch: 6-13

Team road record when Felix or Iwakuma pitch: 5-3
When Beavan/Harang, Maurer, Saunders pitch: 1-7

I knew it was going to be something less than satisfactory, but didn't think it would be this bad. If it is any consolation, Jon Garland isn't pitching very well for Colorado. And, if they had promoted Hultzen and he hurt his rotator cuff while pitching for the Mariners rather than the Rainiers, the team critics would have been all over that like stink on Lou Pineilla's breath.

Unfortunately, at the moment there isn't much they can do to remedy the problems with the other three spots in the rotation. Ideally, they wouldn't have allowed their backs to be against the wall to begin with. We all saw this coming.

 

[seattlefan75]

Kuma has been pitching well ever sense he was moved from the bullpen as a starter from last year, he finished the season pretty strong in 2012.

but our main concern is what this team is going to do whenever hernandez and iwakuma aren't pitching. I think the plan was for hultzen to keep dominating AAA then bring him up midseason but he got hurt, then Paxton would have also been another option however he is going tossed around in the minors. I don't think james Paxton will pan out to be a solid pitcher in the majors he will probably be a journeyman

 

[unlvmariners]

Kuma has been pitching well ever sense he was moved from the bullpen as a starter from last year, he finished the season pretty strong in 2012.

but our main concern is what this team is going to do whenever hernandez and iwakuma aren't pitching. I think the plan was for hultzen to keep dominating AAA then bring him up midseason but he got hurt, then Paxton would have also been another option however he is going tossed around in the minors. I don't think james Paxton will pan out to be a solid pitcher in the majors he will probably be a journeyman

I actually really like Paxton. But i have concerns about his stamina over the course of a full season and injuries. Paxton also hasn't been going very deep into games at all this season. I wonder if they are trying to limit his innings early on or if they don't feel he is fully stretched out yet.

 

[seattlefan75]

We really need to look into finding some other SP's because whenever felix or kuma are not pitching its a horror show, its a shame that hultzen got hurt because i believe at the pace he was pitching in AAA tells me that he would have gotten the nod to come to the majors.

 

[SeattleCoug]

Rotation stats breakdown:
Team record when Felix or Iwakuma pitch: 9-5
When Beavan/Harang, Maurer, Saunders pitch: 6-13

Team road record when Felix or Iwakuma pitch: 5-3
When Beavan/Harang, Maurer, Saunders pitch: 1-7

I knew it was going to be something less than satisfactory, but didn't think it would be this bad. If it is any consolation, Jon Garland isn't pitching very well for Colorado. And, if they had promoted Hultzen and he hurt his rotator cuff while pitching for the Mariners rather than the Rainiers, the team critics would have been all over that like stink on Lou Pineilla's breath.

Unfortunately, at the moment there isn't much they can do to remedy the problems with the other three spots in the rotation. Ideally, they wouldn't have allowed their backs to be against the wall to begin with. We all saw this coming.

You are right their really is not anything to be done here other then hope Saunders brings his Safeco magic on the road, and hope that Maurer continues to progress.

You could swap Harang with Bonderman I guess but who knows if that will be upgrade or not.

 

[blade]

You are right their really is not anything to be done here other then hope Saunders brings his Safeco magic on the road, and hope that Maurer continues to progress.

You could swap Harang with Bonderman I guess but who knows if that will be upgrade or not.

I think Harang and Bonderman are interchangeable, and since they have far more money tied up in Harang, it will be Harang for the foreseeable future. He is this year's Kevin Millwood. Some days he will be pretty good, like he was on Tuesday in Pittsburgh. And some days he'll get his ass handed to him.

They have a lot of money tied up Saunders too, so he isn't going anywhere either. The only flexible spot in the rotation is Maurer.

 

[seahawksfan234]

I think Harang and Bonderman are interchangeable, and since they have far more money tied up in Harang, it will be Harang for the foreseeable future. He is this year's Kevin Millwood. Some days he will be pretty good, like he was on Tuesday in Pittsburgh. And some days he'll get his ass handed to him.

They have a lot of money tied up Saunders too, so he isn't going anywhere either. The only flexible spot in the rotation is Maurer.

Would be nice if Joe Saunders could pitch every game at home.

Saunders home stats: 0.81 ERA 3 GS 22 IP
Saunders away stats: 12.54 ERA 4 GS 18.2 IP

Sure is a big difference there.

 

[seahawksfan234]

Nice profile adjustments there Cotton...

It took me a second to put the whole KKK and Imperial Wizard Washington State chapter thing together but try not to get banned, don't know what we would do without you.

 

[Gatorchip]

I've used Iwakuma's method to help determine root causes.

 

[SeattleCoug]

he gave up two runs today...whats wrong with him!!!

 

[dude82]

He's been ridiculously good since moving to the rotation last year. He won't keep up a sub-2.00 ERA type of pace because starters just don't do that, but he's been fantastic and I can see him finishing with a sub-3.00 ERA.

 

[blade]

Rotation stats breakdown:
Team record when Felix or Iwakuma pitch: 9-5
When Beavan/Harang, Maurer, Saunders pitch: 6-13

Team road record when Felix or Iwakuma pitch: 5-3
When Beavan/Harang, Maurer, Saunders pitch: 1-7

.

Updated:
When Felix and Iwakuma pitch, the team record is 11-5
When anyone else pitches, the team record is 6-14

 

[wazzu31]

Updated:
When Felix and Iwakuma pitch, the team record is 11-5
When anyone else pitches, the team record is 6-14

I'm starting to think Iwakuma is a different type of Japanese pitcher than you first pointed out. Pretty much every Japanese pitcher that has come over has some crazy version of a pitch that throws hitters off, but he doesn't have that huge strikeout number.

I'd take Iwakuma over Darvish just because A. The M's have an ace. B. The 100 pitches he throws. He's shown by the lowly Mariners, if none of his 99 other pitches are working then his fastball is for shit. I'm sure someone who cares can look up the numbers on what a roughed up game looks like for each guy. On Iwakuma's "rough" nights it seems like it is only 4-5 runs over 4-5 innings, he hasn't killed the bullpen like Darvish has.

 

[seahawksfan234]

Posted this in another thread,

Iwakuma in his 24 games started with the Mariners:

12-5 2.33 ERA 146.2 IP 129 Ks

Iwakuma has been incredible thus far but I would take Darvish over Iwakuma. In starts Darvish averages 6.58 IP and Iwakuma averages 6.09 IP per start. Not to mention Darvish is 6 years younger than Iwakuma.