Quick, if you had to guess: who led all Mariners pitchers in appearances last year? Perhaps it was Andrés Muñoz, tasked with shouldering much of the late work of the bullpen with Matt Brash and Gregory Santos largely, if not completely absent? Maybe it was since non-tendered Austin Voth, brought in on an unassuming one-year deal and proved to be one of Seattle’s most leaned-upon arms? It might have even been the local lefty Tayler Saucedo, who saw plenty of left-on-left work even though the LOOGY role has been all but eliminated?
If you guessed any of those three, you’d be wrong: the reliever who led the Mariners in both appearances and innings pitched was none other than Trent Thornton.