Show Notes:

Baseball is almost here! Travis and Ryan kick off Episode 4 on the eve of the 2025 MLB season, diving into everything Mariners and beyond as Opening Day arrives.

In this episode:

• Opening Day hype — Giants vs. Yankees on Netflix tomorrow, then the full slate drops Thursday morning with early games. It finally feels like Christmas Eve.
• Mariners rotation talk — Logan Gilbert gets the ball on Thursday. Where does the rotation shake out behind him? Kirby, Emerson, and what it means for the staff.
• Lineup construction — Cole Donovan as the true leadoff guy they've been missing, Luke Raley's bounce-back potential, Cole Young absolutely raking in spring, and whether this is finally Julio's year from Game 1.
• Colton not making the club — Was it performance? Or just giving a 21-year-old more seasoning? Either way, expect to see him this year.
• The Mariners TV situation — RootSports is dead. Mariners.TV is the new brand. Will your cable login work in the MLB app? We're all finding out Thursday morning.
• Streaming chaos — Netflix, Peacock, Apple TV, Amazon Prime... how are casual fans supposed to find a game anymore?
• WBC wrap-up — Great pitching, cold bats, and a loss that still stings. Why do international teams just seem to want it more?
• AL/NL whip-around — Division winners, wild card picks, Dodgers three-peat talk, and why the Phillies might finally break through in the NL.
• Bold 2025 predictions — Cole Young as breakout player, Cal Raleigh hitting 51 home runs, Brian Wu as a sneaky Cy Young dark horse, and a Mariners 101-win season prediction.

Final picks: Mariners vs. Tigers in the ALCS. Mariners vs. Phillies in the World Series. Mariners win it.

The episode covers a range of topics, including spring training baseball, the World Baseball Classic (WBC), and the potential outcomes of the tournament. It also delves into the performance of various teams and players, as well as the dynamics of the WBC matchups.

Takeaways

• Spring Training Concerns
• AL WEST Preview
• WBC Excitement

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Podcast Update
• 07:15 AL West Deep Dive and Playoff Predictions
• 21:49 WBC Quarterfinal Matchups and Analysis

Welcome to Episode 2 of The Nautical 9! For our new listeners, the name is a tribute to the Mariners—"nautical" for the sea-faring theme, and "nine" for the players on the diamond. We kick things off by urging fans of the old Super Sports Kid podcast to subscribe to our new feed. Then, we catch up on Mariners Spring Training, discussing Bryce Miller's minor oblique injury , Cade Anderson's polished debut , and why we think Colt Emerson might break camp as our Opening Day third baseman.

The bulk of this episode is dedicated to the upcoming World Baseball Classic. We preview all the pools , debate the pitching restrictions on aces like Tarik Skubal , and track all the Mariners players suiting up for their respective countries—from Julio with the DR to Cal catching for Team USA. Finally, we wrap up with our tournament predictions and a quick update on our recording schedule as we count down the 25 days to Opening Day.