Brock and Salk

What should we expect from this Mariners East Coast road trip? Salk explains why he's really excited for it. Then, we take your calls as we do every Friday and Salk ranks the top Mariners that could really help this team if they get going.

Justin runs down a list of 'what-if' questions for this 2024 Mariners team ranging from pitching, Julio, and what happens if the team is in 1st place at the deadline for Salk to answer before Gee Scott makes his weekly appearance. 

Salk discusses how this upcoming road trip is the first serious litmus test when the M's take on two of the better rosters & AL leaders in wins before being joined by ESPN's Jesse Rogers about his recent story on 'load management' as it pertains to baseball - could we see big changes in MLB[...]

Breaking news starts the show with the reports of world no. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler being detained outside the Valhalla Golf Club trying to enter the course, Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever drop another rough loss and the Mariners are set for their toughest road trip of the season. Maura takes us Around the NFL.

We break down some of the Orioles strengths and weaknesses and how the Mariners stack up. Then, we discuss Bryan Woo's return and how much he solidifies this starting rotation as one of the best out there. Does bullpen depth become more urgent if he can't go more than 5 innings? Plus, Brock ranks the[...]

There's a new feature on the Seattle Sports App that we tested out to hear what fans had to say in a new 'voicemail' feature before everybody shares tid-bits or nuggets of information about every one of the Seahawks 2024 opponents. 

Brock shares his thoughts on the Seahawks 2024 schedule and why he likes it as a launching point for the new regime. Salk shares few things that stood out or “mattered” from this most recent Mariners homestand before Brock's Blue 88.   

Another huge series win against a pesky Royals team and Salk mentions that this game felt a little bit like a mid-September game heading toward the playoffs. Salk is joined by Roch Kubatko, Baltimore Orioles beat reporter fro MASN to discuss the upcoming matchup vs the M's. 

It feels like we have a pretty clear idea of who this M's team is at this point. That should make it easier to make decisions when looking to add. Then, Jeff Francouer says exit velocity is the thing he wishes was more prevalent in his career. This leads to a discussion on why these[...]

The guys open the hour with a classic round of Answer the Question, Jerk! from twitter responses to Brock's post before digging into some quotes from Tom Brady on how he motivated himself using anger, how Kirk Cousins reacted to the Michael Penix draft news, and sound from Ted Nguyen regarding how Macdonald does a[...]

Brock & Salk discuss what the identity of this year's Mariners team is shaping up to be before Salk shares some notes about what he picked up at the ballpark after talking to Josh Rojas, Gregory Santos, Luke Raley, Cody Bolton and Scott Servais before Brock's Blue 88. 

It was a dominant outing for Logan Gilbert but the Royals showed us what can happen when a MLB team is gifted free outs. Jorge Polanco & Mitch Garver both scratched with injury concerns - is the bug coming? Bryan Woo set to make his first start since being pulled due to 'tightness' and we[...]

Brock explains why he's upset with Molly over her power washing, why he likes the Bills move to bring in a former official as a liaison, and what the MLB bat speed numbers have him questioning. Then, we react to Jeff Passan's thoughts on guys the M's could trade for and who they could give[...]

Maura takes the guys on a trip Around the NFL to discuss Jared Goff's pay day, Nathaniel Hackett's role in NY and former NFL official John Parry's new role in Buffalo. ESPN's Senior MLB Insider Jeff Passan makes his weekly appearance to discuss the M's through the past couple weeks and share some way-too-early trade deadline scenarios. 

Another high-quality pitcher chased after 5 innings by the M's and Salk loves that they don't show the “roll over and die” mentality that we saw against better pitchers last season. Salk thinks Coach Macdonald seems like a bright guy and the defense looks awesome but still believes more in Jimmies & Joes vs X's &[...]

M's get an opening win behind another dominant George Kirby day regardless of a terrible umpire and we see some of the bats finally heating up. Scott Servais has gone out of his way to mention how close this team is and even gone as far as saying they could be the 'hardest working' team[...]

Brock found some Jim Harbaugh sound that convinced him that we would not have been able to handle talking to him every week for an entire season. Salk thinks it would have been a fun adventure. Brock was surprised to see that some of the hitters that are thriving right now (Steven Kwan, Luis Arraez,[...]

Salk can't believe why in the world the Seahawks would want Jamal Adams back on this Seahawks roster with his attitude after moving on from a leader like Diggs (and Bobby). The guys go over the list of QBs rankings from Cody Benjamin.

With Sunday's win, Luis Castillo has now thrown 31 quality starts since joining the Mariners, tied for most in the AL and Salk shares four very important things that were said or done this weekend in Seattle sports before Brock's Blue 88. 

After a sunny weekend with 120k fans at the ballpark, the M's win their 7th series out of 8 and Julio Rodriguez appears to be 'getting right,' at least according to skipper Scott Servais as he went deep and hit a lot of balls over 100mph. Maura takes us Around the Weekend. 

The Mariners offense is so frustrating because this team can be so fun and good outside of that. What can be done? Salk talks through some of the options to try and spark the lineup but ultimately thinks its too early for most of them. Then, we take your calls and Justin and Salk double[...]

After the conversation Salk has with Shannon, the focus returns to the issues with the Mariners offense and who is feeling "pinchy" within the org based on results of the first 40-ish games of the season. Gee Scott makes his weekly appearance to discuss his recent traffic ticket, JSN year-2 expectations, and much... much more. 

Salk shares an other QB list that has Geno at #18 and thinks it sounds right, but what about the young guys after him? Does that put Geno closer to the back of the pack? M's Insider Shannon Drayer joins Salk to discuss why she feels so many players underperforming their career numbers, frustration levels and[...]

There are a lot of things going wrong with the Mariners offense and Salk wonders who is feeling "pinchy" about their present & future... and it could be a lot of folks. The M's pitching staff is getting back one of their starters as the Oakland A's bring their feisty bats to town for a[...]

What exactly are we seeing happen with Cal Raleigh? Is he ascending into something beyond what we already thought he was? He is tough, genuine, outspoken, strong, clutch and he is in command - put those five things together, and you have a recipe for a team leader and a fan favorite. Brock's Blue 88. 

Salk opens the show with a story about golfing with more old people on vacation before a new outlook on how he looks at baseball in 'chunks' more than individual games and how it reflects some of the strengths and weaknesses of a roster construction. Is Ty France on a hot seat? We revisit the conversation[...]

Brock and Salk discuss the focus on specialization and skill development in youth sports and how hard it makes it to be a multi sport athlete today. How can we get back to letting kids be kids and enjoy playing sports more? Then, are we getting closer to the M's needing to make some decisions[...]

Seahawks rookie guard Christian Haynes joins Mike Lefko and Brock Huard to discuss what draft day was like, his impressions of Seattle, his excitement to work with O-line coach Scott Huff and OC Ryan Grubb and what it means to have a mean streak as an O-linemen. Then, we discuss Austin Rivers comments that you[...]

Seahawks cornerback situation has opened up a lot of questions about who/what is the right 'fit' for Coach Macdonald's defense. The Mariners were able to rally again to win a big one in Minnesota and the guy get into what is missing most: consistency. 

Brock and Lefko break down the Mariners win and how Cal Raleigh saved the day & deserves the "C" on his chest, but also how Luis Castillo deserves some credit for that win for what he forced the Twins to do the night before w/ their bullpen. M's beat writer Ryan Divish (Seattle Times) joins[...]

Lefko (in for Salk) opens with a "good" morning because that's what it is when you get a 10-run Mariners win behind a pinch-hit grand slam by your defacto Mariners captain, Big Dumper. We hear some M's injury updates and revisit the conversation w/ Seahawks ESPN reporter Brady Henderson. 

We discuss whether a Jim Bowden trade suggestion to land the Mariners a bat would be worth it. Then, Brock and Mike Lefko dig into the M's offensive struggles and whether Julio getting going will elevate the entire offense. Plus, Lefko leads us on an exploration of the worst things about air travel in Ranked.

Lefko & Brock discuss what it would take to introduce a QB competition and go back and forth on the reasons why/why not to introduce the idea, but what happens if the issue forces itself based on performance? ESPN's Seahawks beat writer Brady Henderson joins the guys to continue the minicamp/QB convo. 

The Mariners have their fewest hits in a game this season and their 2nd most strikeouts in a game (3rd game of 14) also have three 15-K games and Julio has a -3.8 offensive WAR - lowest on team. What gives?? Twins TV play-by-play broadcaster Cory Provus joins the guys before Brock's Blue 88. 

Luis Castillo shines again but doesn't get enough run support behind only 3 hits by the Mariners offense and going 0-4 w/ RISP leads to a game 1 loss vs the Twins in Minnesota. Mike Lefko (in for Salk) shares some Seahawks rookie minicamp updates before we revisit the conversation with A. J. Pierzynski. 

We discuss John Smoltz's answer to how internal competition can help a starting rotation and why personalites matter so much in all of that. Then, Ryan Rowland-Smith and Brock discuss how the Mariners offens can improve and what Julio is struggling with. Plus, Ryan ranks the top 5 filthiest pitches he's seen.

Brock and Ryan discuss the success we've seen from the 3B platoon and how Rojas specifically has put himself into elite company with a hot bat and solid defense before being joined by Hall of Famer John Smoltz to share some perspective to what the M's pitching staff is doing and also how the position[...]

Ryan Rowland-Smith (in for Salk) joins Brock to break down the Mariners weekend and how incredible this pitching has been to start the season. The guys are joined by former MLB catcher turned broadcaster A. J. Pierzynski to make a big statement about Logan Gilbert before Brock's Blue 88. 

Maura & Justin open the show with a quick recap of the Mariners weekend as the M's recover from Friday's meltdown to win back-to-back games and the series over the Astros behind more dominant pitching. We revisit the final John Schneider Show. 

We play a round of Buy/Sell with some Mariners & Seahawks questions before being joined by our own Mariners Insider Shannon Drayer live from Houston, finishing up the week with a RANKED: Brock's Top 5 landing spots for UW draftees. 

What type of environment and culture will Coach Macdonald have in Seattle as a first-time HC? The guys run down a list of cuts from his appearance w/ Wyman & Bob before being joined for another wild ride from Gee Scott.

Brock & Salk run down a long list of their wants & needs for the Mariners vs Astros series starting today in Houston. Should the Seahawks be having a QB competition? The results of Salk's twitter poll were 70-30 in favor of it, but we open the phones to let fans weigh in before Brock's Blue[...]

Salk reads some podcast reviews before admitting he has a little FOMO and explains why. The Mariners set for 3 in Houston w/ Kirby on mound, the Seahawks welcome Byron Murphy to Seattle for his first visit and we revisit the Jim Nagy conversation who says he hopes Hawks open up the QB competition. 

The guys discuss what it will be like to have a return of the NBA to Seattle eventually before coming back to the comments made by Jim Nagy and Michael Lombardi regarding the QB situation in Seattle. RANKED: Top 5 Shops

The guys play a round of everybody's favorite 'Answer the Question, Jerk!' on a variety of fun topics before being joined by former Seahawks scout, now Executive Director Reese's Senior Bowl Jim Nagy to discuss the Hawks draft class and how he opens they "open it up" to a QB competition between Howell/Geno.

Brock & Salk ask a couple M's questions - is there anything Hancock can do to keep a spot in the rotation? And in a perfect world, how many games do you want Mitch Haniger in RF? The guys offer solutions the Mariners do to improve to improve their offense before Brock's Blue 88. 

Mariners lose final game of series vs Atlanta thanks in part to some imperfect defense (and a rough day overall for the OF). We learn about the new minority ownership added to Mariners and how the NBA media rights deal coming to a completion means the Seattle expansion could be announced soon. We revisit the conversation[...]

Brock & Salk wanted to talk mini-camp but ends up spending most of the segment on a story about Salk going to the dermatologist and how he believes that the Dr. essentially told him that he was ugly. The guys are joined by M's broadcaster Aaron Goldsmith to continue discussing the heater this team is on[...]

Salk brings back an old game of Which is Better? with a variety of Mariners, Seahawks, and general life scenarios. The Big Dumper Cal Raleigh joins the guys to discuss the Mariners pitching success.

What this pitching staff has been doing for the better part of a month is historically insane, and they’ve done it against three very good teams in AZ, TEX, and ATL. Brock & Salk give their one month check-in on the M's before Brock's Blue 88. 

Salk shares what he thinks was a master class put on by Luis Castillo at the ballpark and gives Servais credit for managing last night like it was a must-win game to secure their 5th straight series win. Seahawks rookies will start to arrive shortly for their first minicamp and could Goodell really get his 18[...]

What do the Kraken do moving forward? A combination of Hakstol firing + disgruntled player reports + 3-year season ticket contracts expiring… GM Ron Francis better get it right or could be next. Can this kind of Mariners pitching sustain? And if so, will just small offensive improvements float the Mariners to stay atop the[...]

With draft done, what should the expectations be from these Seahawks in 24? The guys cover what Salk wrote in his recent SeattleSports.com article before their weekly check in with ESPN Senior MLB Insider Jeff Passan who shares some historical perspective on how good this M's pitching staff has been as of late.

The Mariners may not deserve the benefit of the doubt, but Salk believes the players do - and we should expect Servais to absolutely throw the kitchen sink at the Braves tonight to go for a series win. Brock & Salk discuss the Michael Penix conundrum before Brock's Blue 88. 

Mariners win a thriller and Salk loves how baseball will push you to the brink, make you crazy, convince you that you’re insane, think your team will never score again, and then bam – walk-off. Kraken moving on from HC Dave Hakstol after 3 seasons and we revisit the conversation w/ ESPN's Brady Henderson. 

The Seahawks (on paper) didn't need 2 more CBs, so why did they go get them? Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, and Luis Castillo might all be tied for the M's best pitcher right now, but what happens when Bryan Woo returns? RANKED: Brock ranks his Top 5 favorite Hawks draft picks.

One month into the M's season we have seen an historic run of Mariners pitching, a 3B platoon that has worked, and they still need offensive help from Garver, Polanco, and Julio. Seahawks reporter Brady Henderson (ESPN) joins the show to break down the 2024 Seahawks draft. 

The guys share what they like the most about this year's draft class and Brock says he loves that they stayed in the present - not sacrificing the future and still getting what they needed today to build a team. Salk asks Brock some rapid-fire questions about each pick before Brock's Blue 88. 

Salk opens the show by describing what he likes the most about this Seahawks draft class and uses the word "workmanlike" more than once, and under-the-radar. Time will tell, but he loves all of the choices today. Justin takes us Around the Weekend of the Mariners series and we learn some unfortunate news about RHP[...]

New Seahawk Byron Murphy joins Brock and Salk to discuss what last night was like, why he's so excited to be a Seahawk, what it was like growing up in a football town like DeSoto Texas, and graduating school early. Then, we take your calls on the draft and Justin and Salk rank Murphy's in[...]

Salk has no complaints about the Byron Murphy pick because they took a huge step towards building a run wall and made a statement about what they want to be as a franchise. We have some questions -- how will he be used? What will he do best? Why DL over OL, and many more[...]

There were reports that the Seahawks were actually a team interested in jumping up in the NFL draft to pick Michael Penix Jr ... but was that for real? And if so, what does it mean? Gee Scott joins Brock & Salk for his weekly appearance and it goes (predictably) wild - including a story[...]

The first round of the NFL Draft has come & gone and the Seahawks did something we haven't seen them do in awhile: kept it simple. But is it the right move? Did it satisfy the needs of this team? The Mariners get a series W in Texas and we hear the results of "the[...]

Brock takes us rapid fire through some potential first round options for the Seahawks that didn't make his draft profile series. Then, Dave Wyman joins the show to give us his thoughts on what the Seahawks should do at 16 and give his thoughts on some of the other options. Plus, we have a draft[...]

Will the first Top 10 picks in the draft be offensive players? Will Brandon Aiyuk will be traded? Maura plays a round of 'Buy / Sell' NFL Draft edition for the guys before opening up the phone lines for Seattle Sports fans to share their own draft wishes.

The guys cover the final mock drafts from the biggest voices in the NFL mediasphere - some good, some bad, and one very ugly - and Salk says he will blow a gasket if one of them comes true. Brock's Blue 88 addresses the Huskies in the draft and how the players are feeling in[...]

The big day Seattle Sports fans have been waiting for has finally arrived... it is race day for Maura and Salk. Also relevant - the NFL draft kicks off and we'll get to see what this new era of Seattle Seahawk football looks like under Mike Macdonald and John Schneider. We learn about the new[...]

Brock finishes up his draft profiles with his favorite prospect for the Seahawks, Troy Fautanu. Then, we discuss how much we are buying into some of the Michael Penix Jr. to Seattle rumors, and Brock ranks his top 5 Huskies in this draft.

The guys discuss the amount of Quality Starts the Mariners have put together over the last 10 games and come up with a term for what it should be called when the offense does the opposite by knocking out a starter before they get a chance. Michael Bumpus joins Brock & Salk in-studio to share[...]

The guys spend some time on the Mariners winning formula before getting into the numbers from Jason Fitzgerald (Over the Cap) on recent draft success based on 2nd contracts and how the Seahawks are ranked the 2nd worst by his metrics. Brock & Salk debate the data and agree it does not tell a good story[...]

The Mariners put together yet another dominant quality pitching performance, this one by Logan Gilbert who goes 6.2 IP with 0 runs over the Texas Rangers to win game 1 and climb atop the AL West thanks to Julio's first HR and Cal Raleigh's 6th. The NFL Draft is officially here and we're hours away[...]

Brock continues his look at Seahawks draft prospects with Penn St DE Chop Robinson. Then, we try to pin down the details and consequences for Salk and Maura's race on Thursday and Justin and Salk have a bubbly ranked for you today.

Mike Macdonald speaks at UW Coaching Clinic and shares a goal for his defensive front: "We believe in knocking the crap out of the guy in front of you, and then some," coaching staff and much more that Brock & Salk loved to hear. Former NFL GM Mark Dominik joins the guys to discuss the value[...]

Salk keeps coming back to Jared Verse & his two things that stand out the most about what he brings to a team. The guys decide to open the phones to hear from Seahawks fans who give a Yes/No answer to drafting Michael Penix Jr at #16 and the answers are split followed by Brock's[...]

Salk opens the show with more about the Richard Sherman response to Picture Gate after the article he wrote on SeattleSports.com outlining some of the points of contention. The Mariners are set to face off against the Rangers for 3 games and we learn an unfortunate hockey stat that does not look good for the[...]

Brock continues his look at Seahawks draft prospects with Florida State DE Jared Verse. Then, we go back to Joel Klatt's comments that he would take Michael Penix at pick 16 if he's still there. Brock doesn't agree. Plus, Salk and Justin go big for Ranked today.

Brock's Blue 88 covers the two influences that empowered Mike Macdonald to be unique and against the grain with the staff he hired and Salk gets into his Richard Sherman rant after comments he made on X regarding Picture Gate. ESPN's Jeff Passan joins us a day early to discuss the Mariners series win in[...]

Salk reminds us of the winning M's formula: JP on base + Julio is Julio + starting pitching = success, and Julio (going back to the day off) is 11-28 (.392) and it's been a massive difference. Brock & Salk's new favorite guest Joel Klatt (FOX Sports) joins the guys now that it's officially Draft Week[...]

The Mariners were able to get a series win in Colorado behind a dominant display of starting pitching and an offense that took their walks. Salk is blown away by how athletes play baseball in the freezing cold. Smack-talk has increased as Maura and Salk's race approaches before we go Around the Weekend of sports. 

Brock continues his look at potential Seahawks draft picks with Texas DT Byron Murphy. Then, we take your calls and Justin and Salk have a "beautiful" Ranked for you today.

Brock and Salk hear from a couple big names in the sports world who have some thoughts to share about what is going on at the Seahawks facility with the photos being taken down. The guys are joined by UW's Troy Fautanu ahead of the NFL Draft. 

Brock & Salk get into Booger’s claim that Latu is the best defensive player in the draft and that the Seahawks should take him at #16 regardless of the injury risk involved. Gee Scott makes his Friday weekly appearance an hour early to discuss #PictureGate before Brock's Blue 88.

Salk opens the show with the best Mariner story of the first three weeks: Bryce Miller. His transformation from year to year has been remarkable, at least through the first four starts of 2024, and he leads the team in many pitching metrics. We learn more details about the Seahawks photograph takedown before revisiting the[...]

We play a round of 'Whose Shoes' (Brock Edition!) to pick between: Carroll or Belichick-Schneider’s ‘23 or ‘24 draft room, Clase or Raley and Rojas or Urias before being joined by ESPN's Booger McFarland to talk NFL Draft.

Brock & Salk talk about how hard it must have been for the last five years or so of Seahawks players to live up to the massive personalities and success stories of the LOB and they agree this is a clear opportunity to move forward. Now that the M's have shown us they can put[...]

Salk opens the show with a cheers to a new era of Seahawks football after hearing about the new blank walls inside the Virginia Mason Athletic Center giving this new regime a fresh slate to create their own identity. The Mariners swept away the Reds at home and Caitlin Clark meets a creep in front[...]

Brock continues his look at potential Seahawks draft picks with a profile on Michael Penix Jr. Then, we dig back into the discussion of Mike Macdonald removing some of the reminders of past Seahawks teams and making it clear they are establishing their own identity under him. Plus, Justin and Salk take it to the[...]

Brock continues his look at Seahawks draft prospects with Texas DT T'Vondre Sweat. Then, we discuss the Seahawks looking closer to the team we expected in their last couple of games and Justin and Salk have a 'painful' Ranked for you.

With Travis Kelce's new spin-off TV hosting job starting soon we run down a few potential M's/Hawks players that could host their own before being joined by Ryan Divish (Seattle Times) to discuss the first M's series win and where they stand 3 weeks into the young MLB season. 

Brock and Salk discuss three things that are all true at once: starting pitching is still the #1 most important thing in baseball, Julio is all over the place at the plate, and you can't win without outstanding defense. Maura takes us Around the NFL (where to hear some amazing John Harbaugh sound before Brock's[...]

The M's were finally able to nail down their first series win over the Reds behind another - their 6th straight - quality start & a dominant pitching performance by Logan Gilbert. We hear bummer news for Kraken fans and the WNBA sets another record. We revisit the conversation with ESPN's Senior MLB Insider Jeff[...]

Brock continues his draft profiles with a look at Michigan CB Mike Sainristil. Then, we discuss whether there is a point where analytics become too overwhelming for players and Justin and Salk have another edition of Ranked for you.

Maura plays a round of 'Buy or Sell' including questions about Michael Penix, Geno Smith, Jonatan Clase, and one about Brock's denim. ESPN's Senior MLB Insider Jeff Passan joins for his weekly appearance to discuss some of Jackie Robinson, Julio Rodriguez's slow start, rapid-fire Rangers, Astros and Angels questions and one incredible insult to Mike Salk. 

Brock & Salk discuss how much walks & HRs will help this Mariners team because isn’t as athletic as it’s been and need more pop. Salk shares his "secret" with Brock about really wanting the Hawks to draft DL Jared Verse before getting into Blue 88. 

Salk is thrilled to see the M's put together what most closely resembles a 'complete' or 'regular' win that we had been expecting to see since Opening Day - walks & power. Caitlin Clark was predictably drafted #1 overall in the WNBA draft and the Seattle Storm select Nika Muhl (UCONN) at #14. We go[...]

Brock continues his look at potential Seahawks draft picks with Utah safety Cole Bishop. Then, Brock reacts to John Schneider's comments on drafting a QB last week. Brock thinks it means they will consider one they really like if they drop far enough to be a value. Salk says if you really like a QB,[...]

The Mariners find themselves: 27th in hits, 28th in doubles, 25th in HR, 29th in slugging with Julio, Garver, France and Raley combined for zero home runs. Is this who they are, or will things take a turn soon? Brock & Salk open up the lines to let Mariners fans share their own thoughts and feelings. [...]

Julio Rodriguez had his first pinch-running assignment end poorly on Sunday and the guys are confused and a little concerned about why he was in the position in the first place, and why he wasn't available to the media after the game. Brock & Salk get into the great unknowns about the upcoming Seahawks draft[...]

Salk is very frustrated with the start of the Mariners season and just wants to see the guys play to their baseball card before making further judgements, because with only 4 guys playing above MLB average can't be real. The Seahawks sign Laken Tomlinson (Guard) to bolster some OL depth, Maura takes us Around the[...]

Stacy Rost joins Salk to discuss John Schneider's comments on Sam Howell not precluding the Seahawks from drafting a QB. How likley do they think it is and who would they want? Then, we take your calls on when Scott Servais should consider changing the top of the order, and who might be a cheater[...]