On Wednesday, the new TV spots for the 2013 Mariners were officially released. From Felix and his High Heat Hot Sauce to Brendan Ryan’s magical buffalo cookies (not the kind you’re thinking of), the PR team did a great job with this year’s batch of commercials.

Click the photos below to watch each video—and don’t forget to vote for your favorite!

Hottest Thing in Town
Starring: Felix Hernandez

Focused and Relaxed
Starring: Michael Morse, Michael Saunders, and Kyle Seager

Fan Mail
Starring: Dustin Ackley

One Wish
Starring: Random Mariners fan

The Lineup
Starring: Random Mariners fan and Random Mariners fan’s kids

The Wise Ol’ Buffalo
Starring: Brendan Ryan, Tom Wilhelmsen, Jesus Montero… and a buffalo

 Loading ...

The Mariners’ 2013 25-man roster is far from finalized, but the media is already starting to buzz with possible starters for the season. Here’s the latest:

• Yesterday, Larry Stone revealed the 16 players he believes are locked into starting positions come April. Those who fall into the “probable, but not guaranteed” category are denoted with asterisks.

Catchers: Jesus Montero, Kelly Shoppach*

First basemen: Justin Smoak, Kendrys Morales

Second baseman: Dustin Ackley

Shortstop: Brendan Ryan

Third baseman: Kyle Seager

Utility infielder: Robert Andino

Outfielders: Michael Morse, Michael Saunders, Franklin Gutierrez, Raul Ibanez

Starting rotation: Felix Hernandez, Hisashi Iwakuma, Joe Saunders

Bullpen: Tom Wilhelmsen, Charlie Furbush, Oliver Perez*, Josh Kinney*

• As for the Big Four, they are still four question marks in the rotation. Stone thinks that Taijuan Walker is the furthest from claiming a spot, while Danny Hultzen has shown the most promise so far. Currently, Hultzen is sidelined with a minor hip strain, but is expected to bounce back within the week.
• Shannon Drayer reports that Michael Morse may see more time in right field than originally expected: “Despite saying that Morse would play mostly left this winter Wedge has had him in mostly right. He has been about what I think most of us expected out there.”
• Wedge has also been tinkering with the leadoff spot, slotting Franklin Gutierrez at the top of the lineup three times this week. “We have been messing around with him up top a bit and we will see how it plays out,” Wedge told Drayer on Saturday.

In just three hours, the Mariners will kick off their exclusive single-game ticket presale for the 2013 season. If you signed up for Mariners Mail, you’ll be able to purchase tickets for the next two days before they’re released to the general public on March 16.

Whether you’re looking to purchase tickets this week or willing to wait for some StubHub steals, here’s your guide to the hottest series and promotions of the upcoming season.

Opening Day: vs. Astros | April 8 | 7:05pm

Interleague series:
vs. Padres | May 27-28
vs. Pirates | June 25-26
vs. Cubs | June 28-30
vs. Brewers | August 9-11

Special promotions and events:
Beard Hat Night (and yes, this is as awesome as it sounds) | vs. Angels | April 26
Tom Wilhelmsen Train Engine Nights | vs. A’s | May 11
Felix Hernandez “Perfect Game” Bobblehead Night | vs. Rangers | May 25
Fireworks Night | vs. Cubs | June 28
Dustin Ackley Gnome Night | vs. Angels | June 13
Fireworks Night | vs. Brewers | August 9
Ken Griffey Jr. “Mariners Hall of Fame” Bobblehead Night | vs. Brewers | August 10
Oktoberfest | vs. Royals | September 24
Fan Appreciation Night | vs. A’s | September 27

Dynamic pricing is back for the 2013 Mariners season, with some games offering prices as low as $5 per seat. Opening Day ticket prices start at $15. For a full list of ticket prices and available seating, check out Mariners.com.

Next game: @ Rangers | March 1 | 12:05pm

Projected starters: James Paxton and Brandon Maurer.

The King is alive: Felix isn’t scheduled to appear in a spring training game until next week, but he’s keeping busy at camp in the meantime. So far, he’s tossed several 10-minute bullpens, and held his first session against live hitters yesterday afternoon. According to Greg Johns’ report, Jack Zduriencik and Eric Wedge like what they’ve been seeing.

Cactus League MVPs: Dustin Ackley and Brendan Ryan, who both sat out of the first few games recuperating from surgeries, have returned to the Mariners’ lineup this week. Ackley is 1-for-5 with a triple, while Brendan has a home run to his name, as well as a single in 4 PA. Gotta love spring training stats, right?

(Speaking of meaningless numbers, it may be worth pointing out that the Mariners are sporting a 6-1 record so far.)

Party like it’s Opening Day: Bud Selig and the baseball-powers-that-be favored Mariners fans this year, scheduling their opening game on a Monday evening. If you don’t already have plans to host your own party, sit on the couch and tweet, or catch the action at a local sports bar, the Mariners may have a suitable alternative in mind:

In seven hours, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America is scheduled to announce the 2013 inductee(s) to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

For those of you who haven’t jumped on the #EdgarHOF wagon this year, check out MLB columnist Doug Miller’s piece on Edgar Martinez for a few insights from the former Mariner. You can watch today’s results live on MLB.com and MLB Network at 2pm EST.

Jim Callis of Baseball America ranks Mariners’ farm system No. 2 in majors — Larry Stone reveals Jim Callis’s top ten minor league systems in MLB. Of the ten, the Mariners rank first of six AL teams, while their AL West buddies rank fourth and tenth (Rangers and Astros, respectively).

Mike Zunino: Reasonable expectations for Mariners top prospect in 2013 — Speaking of Seattle’s MiLB studs, Mike Zunino’s breakout success in Single-A and Double-A levels comes with a warning to temper any big-league expectations. Jonathan Irwin weighs the young backstop’s potential against the necessary adjustments he’ll have to make in the near future.

Michael Bourn, Chopped Liver? — Last month, MLB Trade Rumors targeted the Mariners as a possible landing spot for the newly-minted free agent outfielder. FanGraphs’ Eno Sarris examines the current market for players of Bourn’s skill set and salary bracket, concluding that a lower-priced deal may be struck out of necessity. It is worth noting that no formal talks between Jack Zduriencik and Bourn’s agent Scott Boras have progressed past the Winter Meetings.

Dustin Ackley Emotional Range — Tired of prospect talk? Weary of unresolved trade rumors? Jeff Sullivan is here to brighten the offseason with a lovely spectrum of Dustin Ackley’s game day reactions, from “interested” to “thoughtful.”

What have you read this week? Share it with us on Twitter or in the comments below!

Opening Day may still be a distant 122 days away, but Christmas is just around the corner, giving you the perfect excuse to ditch the offseason blues for some Mariners-themed memorabilia. Here are a few of our favorites:

King of Perfection DVD, $10

Relive each out of King Felix’s perfect game with this commemorative DVD, available exclusively in Mariners Team Stores. In addition to game footage, the film features postgame interviews with Felix Hernandez, a special video montage, and the choice of radio or TV play-by-play.

» Continue reading “Mariners Holiday Shopping Guide”

This week, the Mariners take a look at some catching depth, Brendan Ryan is awarded another defensive title, and the Javelinas make a push for the playoffs.

• Hardball Talk reports that Hisashi Iwakuma will not represent Japan in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. Instead, he intends to focus on the upcoming 2013 season in Seattle.
• From Jon Heyman’s Twitter account: “#mariners have reached out to russell martin & mike napoli. also looking at corner OF bats.” The Yankees and Red Sox have expressed interest in Napoli, while the Red Sox and Rangers are currently linked to Martin.
• John Dewan of the Fielding Bible named Brendan Ryan and Dustin Ackley the Best Double Play Combo in 2012, with a combined 38 DRS. Close on their heels were Darwin Barney and Starlin Castro with 31 DRS.
• With three games remaining before the AFL Championship on Saturday, the Peoria Javelinas are clinging to a half-game lead over their division rivals, the Surprise Saguaros. They are coming off of a three-game losing streak, punctuated by Carson Smith’s loss and Logan Bawcom’s blown save. The singular highlight of the Mariners’ performance was a banner day from Vinnie Catricala, who went 2-for-4 against the Mesa Solar Sox with an RBI double, single, and walk.

With a hearty congratulations to the 2012 World Series champion San Francisco Giants, the offseason is now officially underway.

• After taking home a 2012 Fielding Bible Award for best defensive shortstop, Brendan Ryan was snubbed a Gold Glove award by Baltimore’s J.J. Hardy. Dustin Ackley, who was nominated at second base, was beat out by Robinson Cano.
• As reported by MLB Trade Rumors, Brandon League has signed a $22.5M extension with the Dodgers through 2015, effectively preventing any chance of a return to the Pacific Northwest.
• Submissions are now being accepted for the 2013 MLB Fan Cave. If you love (Mariners) baseball, are 21 or older, and want to spend an entire MLB season watching every game, interviewing players, and hosting celebrities in NYC’s elaborate baseball-themed haven, fill out an application here.
• According to the Mariners’ official Twitter account, the free agent pool now includes Kevin Millwood, Oliver Perez, and George Sherrill.

The Mariners are about to enter into a crucial off-season in which the front office has made clear that it will be active. There will be moves made to improve this team for 2013 and beyond, whether it be solely through free agency or with the acquisition of players via trade. One question, however, has been eating at me these past few days. If the 2012 Mariners were foods, which would they be?

John Jaso – Pumpkin. Pumpkin is probably one of my favorite flavors but, because the higher-ups in the world have decided that it doesn’t match up well with the other seasons, we are only allowed to enjoy it for a small portion of the year. I can’t think of a flavor that is more underutilized than pumpkin.

Brendan Ryan – Spinach. I used to hate spinach. Hate it. I think I mostly hated it, though, because I was told to hate it. Spinach has the unfortunate fate of being labeled as unappetizing by many. As I’ve grown older and wiser, however, I’ve learned to like spinach. A lot. Sure, I wouldn’t want to eat spinach for every meal, but it’s a solid side dish.

Dustin Ackley – Mixed Drink. Except the drink wasn’t mixed properly. In the first sip, we got all of the sugary mixer. It was delicious. We thought the whole drink was going to be amazing. Well, guess what we’re left with now? Straight vodka. I don’t know about you, but that wasn’t what I was expecting. And, frankly, this drink sucks now.

Chone Figgins – A Half Pint Of Milk. That expired three years ago. Why is this still in the fridge? Why hasn’t anybody thrown this away yet?

Justin Smoak – Homemade red wine. We invested a lot to make this red wine. We gave up a lot of time and resources making this wine. It’s wine, so it has to be good, right? Nope. It’s cool that we made it though, right? No, because it’s terrible. But it will get better with age, right? Probably not. Couldn’t get much worse though!

Jason Vargas – Bubble Gum. With bubble gum, you know what you’re going to get. Sure, some may be sweeter than others, but you can’t really be too surprised with gum. Sometimes, though when you try to blow a bubble, it will blow up and you’ll be left with a real mess. All over your face.

Hisashi Iwakuma – Ramune. If you don’t know what Ramune is, welcome to my life three years ago. They started selling it in my dorm though, and I bought it. It was some kind of Japanese soda and I really had no idea what to expect. After I finished my first, I realized that I actually really liked it. A lot. Over the next few months. I had a lot of ramune. I hope to have a lot more in the future too.

Blake Beavan – Triscuits. Has anybody ever been really excited because somebody had Triscuits at a party? Not that I know of. Does it get more bland? I don’t think so. Sometimes, though, you’re hungry. Starving. All you have are Triscuits. Will they get you full? Technically, yes. Will you enjoy it? Not a chance.

Franklin Gutierrez – A bunch of grapes. Oh look! This looks good! Nevermind, it’s squished. Here’s one! Ewww… rotten. How about this one? A bug ate half of it. Why do I even bother trying?

Jesus Montero – Strawberries. In May. These things are going to be so good soon. You can see it. If we eat them right now, though, we’ll be disappointed. Don’t expect much for a few more months. They’re going to be so sweet eventually.

Carter Capps and Stephen Pryor – Sprinkles. Everybody likes sprinkles. They’re sweet, but you only get a few at a time. They’re pointless if you don’t have a cake to put them on though.

Felix Hernandez – Pizza. Ask 50% of adults and 100% of kids what their favorite food is. Pizza. Pizza has a little bit of everything – vegetables, proteins, breads, even fruit sometimes. Pizza can do it all and it does a pretty damn good job. In one word, it’s perfect.

Miguel Olivo – Durian. Definitions of durian from across the internet: “evokes intense disgust.” “Described variously as rotten onions and gym socks.” “If the smell doesn’t kill you, the taste will.”

Munenori Kawasaki – Pop Rocks. What are Pop Rocks, anyway? What’s the point? Why do they do what they do? How do they do what they do? Nobody mistakes Pop Rocks for real food, but they sure are fun. And completely ridiculous.

Final score: Angels 5, Mariners 4

Narrative 1: Justin Smoak is good. No, really. Since September 13, he’s gone 24-for-38 with 7 XBH, 7 RBI, 4 HR, and just 6 SO. Half of those home runs were hit tonight, putting up the Mariners’ four runs and still falling one run shy of the Angels.

Sure, this level of production is unsustainable. Come Spring Training, or perhaps Opening Day 2013, he might regress to a sub-Mendoza line batting average. But it’s September, the Mariners have eight games left to play, and if this is the silver lining handed to us by the baseball gods, so be it.

Narrative 2: Zack Greinke is good. No, really. Okay, so you knew he was good already, what with the 3.05 FIP and 8.65 K/9 this year. Tonight, however, he set a few records for himself, the Angels, and the Mariners.

Over 5 IP, Greinke induced two groundouts and picked off Kyle Seager to end the 3rd inning. Each of the other 13 outs were strikeouts. If that math seems incorrect, it’s because Greinke managed to strike out four batters in the 4th, his third strikeout botched on a wild pitch. Trayvon Robinson and Brendan Ryan, batting eighth and ninth, struck out three times each. At the top of the lineup, Dustin Ackley struck out four times.

By the end of the game, the Mariners had struck out seven more times, tying their all-time strikeout record in a 9-inning game at 20. This last happened in April 1986, when Roger Clemens recorded all 20 strikeouts in a complete game win for the Boston Red Sox. According to ESPN Stats, the Angels became the first team to generate 20 strikeouts in MLB history, the three other 20-strikeout performances courtesy of one-man efforts from Clemens and Kerry Wood.

Although the lows significantly outweighed the highs of this game, the Mariners still have two more chances to spoil the Angels’ bid for a wild card berth. Tomorrow, Felix Hernandez faces C.J. Wilson, while Hisashi Iwakuma takes the mound against Dan Haren for the series finale on Thursday.

Next game: @ Angels | September 26 | 7:05pm