Mariners vs Tigers Preview: Castillo vs Flaherty Lights Up Week 63

Luis Castillo is your pitcher to watch on Sunday. This guy anchors Seattle's rotation alongside Logan Gilbert, and they make teams sweat before the first pitch even flies. Castillo punches out about 7 strikeouts per game and keeps batters off balance with a 0.67 WHIP—that's elite stuff. The Mariners' bullpen is equally dangerous, with closer Andrés Muñoz ready to shut things down in the ninth. Seattle's pitching depth runs deep. George Kirby, Bryce Miller, and Bryan Woo give them strength from top to bottom. That's why Seattle sits at 34-31 and rode into Detroit hot, winning their last game 4-0.

Jack Flaherty takes the hill for Detroit. The Tigers grabbed him for a reason—he's a veteran pitcher with experience from multiple teams. But his numbers this season show he's got work to do. A 4.39 ERA and 1.95 WHIP mean batters are hitting him harder than he'd like. Detroit sits at 26-39 and lost their last outing. The Tigers are struggling, and Flaherty will need to be sharp against a Seattle lineup that just demolished them 4-0 yesterday. Canzone blasted a 451-foot homer in that game. The Tigers' bats need to wake up fast.

The Mariners are banged up. Cal Raleigh, their catcher, is rehabbing his oblique and won't return until around June 16. Shortstop J.P. Crawford took a pitch to the hand and sat out Saturday. Third baseman Brendan Donovan is on the shelf with a groin injury. Detroit has its own problems. Tarik Skubal, their ace pitcher, just started a rehab assignment after elbow surgery. Justin Verlander could return soon—he's legendary but aging. Both teams are looking to get healthy. Sunday's game matters even more when rosters are short-handed.