Discover the Athletics vs Mariners Head-to-Head Preview and Score Prediction – Saturday, August 23rd, 2025

Athletics

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Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners will host the Oakland Athletics on August 23, 2025, in a matchup that holds significance for both teams as they continue to jockey for position in the American League West. The Mariners currently sit at 69-60, enjoying an above-average season, while the Athletics, with a record of 59-71, are struggling and find themselves with a below-average performance this year. Yesterday, the Mariners took a decisive win against the Athletics, further solidifying their position.

Projected starters George Kirby and Jeffrey Springs present contrasting styles on the mound. Kirby, a right-handed pitcher, has been solid this season, posting an 8-6 record and a 4.22 ERA, though his 3.33 xFIP indicates he may have experienced some bad luck. With projections suggesting he will pitch about 6.1 innings and allow only 2.5 earned runs, the Mariners will be counting on him to deliver a strong performance. On the other hand, Springs, a lefty, has struggled with a 4.24 ERA and is projected to pitch only 4.9 innings, allowing 3.0 earned runs on average. Additionally, his low strikeout rate could be exploited by the Mariners’ high-strikeout offense.

Offensively, the Mariners rank 12th overall, with a notable strength in power as they sit 3rd in home runs this season. Meanwhile, the Athletics boast the 5th best offense in MLB, highlighted by their strong batting average and home run totals. However, their struggles on the base paths, ranking 22nd in stolen bases, could hinder their scoring opportunities.

With Seattle’s potent offense and elite bullpen—ranked 3rd in the league—backing Kirby, they enter this game as significant favorites. The Mariners have an implied team total of 4.54 runs, while the Athletics are projected for only 3.46 runs, reflecting the confidence in Seattle’s ability to control the game. Expect a competitive atmosphere at T-Mobile Park as the Mariners aim to build on their recent success.

Athletics Insights

• Jeffrey Springs – Over/Under 5.5 Strikeouts (+120/-155)
  Out of all starters, Jeffrey Springs’s fastball spin rate of 2163 rpm grades out in the 7th percentile this year.
  Explain: Spin rate is a key component to fastball success in generating strikeouts and preventing runs.
• Lawrence Butler – Over/Under 0.5 Hits (-135/+105)
  Lawrence Butler is projected to hit 6th in the lineup in this matchup, which would be a downgrade from his 86% rate of hitting in the top-half of the batting order this year.
  Explain: The lower in the order a player bats, the fewer plate appearances he will get and the fewer opportunities he will get to hit the Over for every market. A player who hits lower in the order than he normally does may provide extra value opportunity since the market may be based on him hitting higher.
• The Athletics have been the 7th-luckiest offense in the game this year, according to the leading projection system (THE BAT X), and are likely to negatively regress in future games
  Explain: When teams overperform their projected talent level, markets may overvalue them even while they are likely to perform worse in the near future.

Seattle Mariners Insights

• George Kirby – Over/Under 18.5 Pitching Outs (+120/-150)
  George Kirby has averaged 92.3 adjusted pitches per game per started this year, placing in the 81st percentile.
  Explain: Pitchers who average more pitches per game are more likely to go deeper into games and record more outs.
• J.P. Crawford – Over/Under 0.5 Total Bases (-140/+110)
  J.P. Crawford has been cold recently, with his seasonal exit velocity of 86.9-mph dropping to 79.8-mph in the past 14 days.
  Explain: Hitting the ball hard increases the chances of either a home run or the ball landing in fair territory for a hit before a fielder can get to it.
• Seattle Mariners – 2H Moneyline
  The Seattle Mariners bullpen profiles as the 8th-best in the game, according to the leading projection system (THE BAT).
  Explain: Most bettors only consider the starting pitcher, but a strong bullpen sneakily creates a tougher matchup for the opposing offense and suppresses a game’s runs.

Betting Trends

• Seattle Mariners – Moneyline (-170)
  The Seattle Mariners have hit the Moneyline in 19 of their last 26 games at home (+10.35 Units / 25% ROI)
• Athletics – Run Line +1.5 (-145)
  The Athletics have hit the Run Line in 13 of their last 15 away games (+12.00 Units / 56% ROI)
• Eugenio Suarez – Over/Under 0.5 Home Runs (+285/-410)
  Eugenio Suarez has hit the Home Runs Over in 3 of his last 6 games (+7.95 Units / 133% ROI)