While picking Seattle's top rookie might have been a walk in the proverbial park, picking Seattle's top pitcher might be even easier. When Seattle's top pitcher, Ken Walter, went down with an injury early in the season, all of Seattle groaned as one. SEattle's fans were convinced that this could end their season's playoff hopes; it turns out, they were largely correct. However, the injury did have a slight silver lining, as it allowed Hector Marquez to come into his own as one of the top pitchers in the league.
Statistically, of course, describing Marquez as "one of" the league's top pitchers is incorrect; he led the Frick League with 7.0 WAR; second place in the league was 5.0. On the year, Marquez was simply fantastic. He threw 232 innings, and led the league with 18 wins. In those 232 innings he struck out 234 batters while limiting the opposition to 220 hits and 25 home runs.
Now it feels hard to believe, but Seattle actually signed Marquez 8 years ago, in 2031, when Marquez was 16. Seattle shattered its franchise record when it gave Marquez a $22.9 million signing bonus. At the time, reaction around the league was mixed, but now, it's fair to say that Seattle is viewing that as money well spent.
There are never any guarantees about how pitchers will return from arm injuries, but if Ken Walter can come back and pitch as he has in the past, Seattle should have a dynamic rotation next year, and in the future.
Chasing The Storm 2039-6 Seattle's Top Pitcher
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Chasing The Storm 2039-6 Seattle's Top Pitcher
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Seattle Storm: 2011-Present
1737-1391 through 2029
Frick League, Pacific Division Winner (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2024)
Frick League Champion (2013)
Seattle Storm: 2011-Present
1737-1391 through 2029
Frick League, Pacific Division Winner (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2024)
Frick League Champion (2013)
- RonCo
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