SEATTLE -- With the suspension of Spring Training and now Monday’s decision by Major League Baseball to push back the start of the regular season due to the coronavirus pandemic, things are on hold at Mariners camp as the remaining players decide whether to stay and work out in Arizona or return to their offseason homes.

But the Mariners did get in four weeks of camp and 18 Cactus League games, so here’s a look at three things we learned before the shutdown.

The rotation could be pretty solid
An area of much concern heading into camp gained considerable clarity once play began, as Yusei Kikuchi came out with increased velocity and sharpness after consolidating his delivery, free agent Kendall Graveman established himself as one of camp’s nicest surprises while returning from a nearly two-year layoff following Tommy John surgery, while rookies Justus Sheffield and Justin Dunn both performed well with their opportunities.

Marco Gonzales was the only sure thing in that group as he returns as the No. 1 starter, but it appears there’s more depth behind him than expected. Taijuan Walker’s return remains a bit murky as he’d made just one Cactus League start while being brought along slowly. But Walker looked good in that three-inning outing against the Brewers and the upcoming layoff will allow him even more time to slowly build up his arm after his own two-year layoff following Tommy John and shoulder issues.

Scoring runs, that remains to be seen
The Mariners ranked 14th out of 15 Cactus League teams in scoring before the shutdown. And while team statistics aren’t too meaningful in spring given that starters aren’t playing all the time and games almost always are finished by Minor Leaguers who won’t be on the big league club, there clearly will be challenges for a young team with likely five starting position players who’ve never been through a full Major League season.

This will be a group learning on the job at the MLB level and that process won’t truly begin until the regular season opens. For what it’s worth, rookie first baseman Evan White and young shortstop J.P. Crawford put up good numbers in their Cactus League appearances, while second baseman Shed Long has struggled. Rookie outfielder Kyle Lewis has hit the ball hard and led the team with three homers in 29 at-bats, though his average sits at just .172, while fellow rookie Jake Fraley has held his own.

There just aren’t a lot of veteran hitters on the roster, so Kyle Seager, Daniel Vogelbach, Mallex Smith and the catcher combo of Tom Murphy and Austin Nola will need to help carry a large load in that regard.

Youth movement well underway
With Sheffield, White, Lewis, Long, Crawford, Fraley and possibly Dunn all ticketed for major roles, the Mariners will be one of the youngest teams in MLB. But more help is still on the way as some of the most intriguing prospects need further time.

The shutdown of the Minor League season temporarily delays the development of youngsters like Jarred Kelenic, ranked as the No. 11 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline, and Logan Gilbert, who were hoping to progress quickly enough to get big-league shots later this season. But clearly those players are knocking on the door.

Gilbert, the team's top pitching prospect and 2018 first-round Draft pick, looked extremely impressive in a pair of Cactus League outings as well as intrasquad challenges. If the 22-year-old stays healthy, he certainly could be a midseason addition to the rotation.

The team’s top two position prospects -- Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez -- provided plenty of early buzz and figure to eventually be impact players, but the 19-year-old Rodriguez went just 2-for-13 with six strikeouts before being reassigned to Minor League camp. Kelenic, 20, slowed after a quick start, batting .231 with one homer in 26 at-bats in 13 spring games, but he has both the confidence and mental approach to be playing center field at T-Mobile Park before long.

The Mariners also have a flock of promising bullpen prospects, with Joey Gerber, Sam Delaplane, Gerson Bautista, Aaron Fletcher and Taylor Guilbeau opening eyes this spring.