Dating back to spring training, I've had the opportunity to speak with several Seattle Mariners pitchers at various levels.

I've spoken 1-on-1 with pitching prospect Mason Peters, and been part of small media scrums with both Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan. I've been in some bigger media sessions with Bryan Woo, Emerson Hancock, George Kirby, Logan Gilbert and Luis Castillo, and one thing has resonated with me throughout those conversations:

How consistent the Mariners messaging is with their pitchers. For example, take the following quotes:

From Anderson, in late February:

Yeah. ​I ​think ​as ​a ​Mariner, ​that's ​what ​we ​do. ​We ​go ​right ​at ​guys, ​seeing ​what ​it's ​all ​about. ​And ​if ​you ​give ​up ​a ​hit, ​you ​go ​right ​back ​at ​them. ​I ​think ​that's ​the ​mentality ​we ​have.

From Woo, in late March

"No, ​I'd ​say ​it's ​something ​that ​the ​Mariners, ​they ​preach ​early ​on ​as ​you ​get ​drafted, ​and ​just ​their ​pitching ​philosophy ​overall. ​Definitely ​wasn't ​how ​I ​pitched ​in ​college. ​And ​then, ​getting ​into ​the ​system, ​they ​kind ​of ​just ​give ​you ​a ​different ​mindset ​in ​terms ​of ​showing ​you ​just ​the ​success ​that ​you ​can ​have ​when ​you're in the ​zone ​more ​often ​and ​​not ​nibbling ​corners ​as ​much, ​but ​attacking ​the ​middle ​of ​the ​zone ​more ​often."

From Peters, in mid-April 

"It's day one. It's day one. So the 'DTZ,' we're going to dominate the zone. Everything as a pitcher in the Mariners org feels like it revolves around that. And so just as you go through draft camp and as you get into the first season, they just really hammer home, like, they'll show you all the statistics. We want to win the 0-0s and we want to win the evens, and good things are going to happen when we pitch to our strengths and when we can get guys into an advantage count. So, that's just the process."

Three pitchers, three different levels, all preaching the exact same thing. Getting ahead in the count and challenging hitters. Realizing that your stuff is good enough to get guys out and that you don't have to be so worried about giving up contact.

I bring all this up because it was evident yet again on Monday night that Emerson Hancock is just the latest example of a Mariners pitcher buying into the organizational philosophy and running with it.

Hancock threw six brilliant innings in the win over the New York Mets, surrendering just two runs on two hits. He struck out seven and walked none, and he has 70 strikeouts vs. just 15 walks this season. He's living in the zone and he's not afraid to do so, which is something I spoke about on the most recent 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast.

"You can tell that he is not afraid to throw strikes. He's not walking guys.

I've always said, "You can give up walks or you can give up hits. You cannot give up both."

And Emerson Hancock is, by and large, not walking guys. Had a bit of a struggle, right, against the White Sox at home a couple of starts ago, where I think he walked the bases loaded in the second inning, but ended up getting out of it.

But by and large, he's not putting guys on with free passes, and he's going after guys.

And the thing that is a common thread throughout the Mariners organization is that they teach guys, "Look, your stuff is good enough to throw over the plate. Your stuff is good enough to throw over the plate and get guys out doing that."

You can listen to the latest 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast here, or you can watch the episode on YouTube.

Remember to join our MARINERS on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Mariners fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!