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# Mariners at Giants Preview: Similar, Yet Different Squads Battle at Oracle Park
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/seattle-mariners-at-san-francisco-giants-preview-similar-yet-different-squads-battle-at-oracle/
- Published: 2025-04-04T05:07:11.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T06:20:51.000Z
- Author: Corbin Smith
- Tags: Mariners, Bryan Woo, Luis F. Castillo, Bryce Miller

[Embed from Getty Images](http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/2200888482?ref=emeraldcityspectrum.com)

After a disappointing homestand that saw the Seattle Mariners go 3-4 against the Athletics and Tigers, Seattle will take its game on the road for the first time with a three-game homestand against the San Francisco Giants. The Giants have gotten off to a nice start to their 2025 campaign with a 5-1 record, including a three-game sweep of the Astros in their last series. We will thank them later.

Here’s a look at the pitching matchups for the three-game set, beginning with a 1:35 PM game against the Giants for their home opener. 

### Game 1: RHP Luis F. Castillo vs. RHP Justin Verlander

Well, this is a surprise. It wasn’t an “upset” that Emerson Hancock was bounced to Triple-A after his horrific outing against the Tigers on Monday. I don’t think anyone thought the answer would be the Mariners calling up Castillo, a pitcher that was signed as a minor-league free agent this winter and was expected to provide organizational depth and confuse the heck out of people as to why Luis Castillo was in Triple-A. For those curious, the incomparable Lex Meyer brings us this:

> When Luis F. Castillo starts for the Mariners (a game after “The Rock” Luis Castillo started), I believe it will be the first time that’s happened since 2 different Bobby Jones started for the Mets on July 3 & 4, 2000! I’ve been @‘d more about this than maybe ANY note ever. 😆— Alex Mayer ([@alexmayer34.bsky.social](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:yxbelgpcbnvq23dt3bc3pupq?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=emeraldcityspectrum.com)) [April 3, 2025 at 4:57 PM](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:yxbelgpcbnvq23dt3bc3pupq/post/3llwytkgel22e?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=emeraldcityspectrum.com)

Castillo pitched well in his first start with Tacoma with 5 2/3 innings of one-run baseball. The right-hander works in the low-to-mid 90 mph range with his fastball, and he typically relies heavily on a solid slider while mixing in a competent change. He’s not bereft of talent, but it’s fair to be…oh…let’s say, cautiously intrigued by what he’ll do in his start against San Francisco. 

On the other side of the coin, Verlander is a future Hall of Famer who was signed to a one-year deal by the Giants after a less-than-spectacular season with the Astros. He ranked in the bottom 15 percent of qualified hitters in 2024 with a generated whiff rate of just 21.8 percent, but he did limited hard contact at a rate of 32.5 percent; a figure that ranked in the 92nd percentile. He pitched solidly in his first start against the Reds with five innings of two-run baseball, but this is not the same Verlander that occasionally gave Seattle fits with Houston and Detroit.

### Game 2: RHP Bryce Miller vs. LHP Robbie Ray

Miller was so-so in his first start of the season, going 5 2/3 innings while allowing three runs against Oakland in a loss Saturday. The biggest culprit was command, as Miller just didn’t quite find his spots during the start. The stuff looked fantastic, however, and in particular his knuckle-curve was able to give the A’s hitters fits. He generated a 46.3 percent whiff rate with that offering, and he also forged a .156 expected batting average against that pitch. If Miller can get ahead more often and is able to use that pitch in two-strike counts, it should be a more effective outing. Everything he showed last year suggests he’ll be able to procure those kind of outings more often than not.

Hey, remember Robbie Ray? Of course you do. But let’s pretend for a second that you forgot he’s a former Mariner that was signed to a massive six-year deal by Seattle only to be traded less than two season later. The 2022 Cy Young Award winner still has impressive stuff, and after returning from Tommy John surgery, he was able to procure a massive 36 percent whiff rate and 33.3 percent strikeout rate, both numbers that would have ranked near the top of baseball if he would have thrown enough innings to qualify. That stuff has a tradeoff of poor control, and he walked 11.6 percent of the batters he faced last year. He only walked one hitter against the Reds last week, but it’s fair to be skeptical of his command. The Mariners will put out their platoon lineup against Ray, and hopefully Seattle can get quality efforts from hitters like Donovan Solano and Dylan Moore, hitters who with the Mariners in large part because of their ability to handle southpaws.

### Game 3: RHP Bryan Woo vs. Jordan Hicks

Woo and Miller are both getting an extra day of rest because of the decision to call up Castillo for Friday’s (probably) spot start, and it’s something the Mariners will likely do more than once in 2025 as they position themselves not only to compete for a division title this year, but also to help keep both arms healthy in the long-term. Woo didn’t have anywhere close to his best control nor command during Sunday’s start against the A’s, but was still able to limit the damage to one run over six innings with five punchouts. The Giants’ lineup offers a couple of quality left-handed bats, but the majority of the “star power” is in right-handed bats like Willy Adames, Heliot Ramos and Matt Chapman. That serves a pitcher like Woo well, as his four-seam fastball and sinker both play well against same-sided batters. Last year he limited righties to an OPS of .541, and there’s every reason to believe he’ll be excellent in the series finale.  
  
Hicks will end a streak of three-straight Cy Young winners, but he won’t be a comfortable matchup for Seattle, even before you consider how “well” this offense is playing. He was outstanding against the Astros in his first start of 2024 with six scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and throwing 51 of 72 pitches for strikes. He’s one of the harder throwers in baseball who averaged 98 mph with his heater against Houston, and he can give hitters trouble with his sweeper, as well. He can also give himself trouble, however, as Hicks’ command has been wretched at times, and to say he’s generated self-inflicted damage is an understatement. If Seattle can keep their swings and misses to a low roar, they can have success against Hicks. That’s an awfully big if considering what we’ve seen over the first seven games/the overwhelming majority of 2024, but the gameplan should be obvious.