It’s mid-August and the Seattle Mariners are still relevant. With six weeks left to play, the Mariners are a half game out of the second wild card spot. If they reach the postseason, it will end a drought of 13 years. This is the fun time to be a Mariners fan. Every game matters and scoreboard watching is a must.
With an eye towards the postseason, looking at their roster – there’s a lot to like and there are some holes that could be exposed.
The glass half full approach is, as follows:
Pitching, pitching, pitching. The 2014 Mariners’ rotation matches up with any rotation in baseball. Felix Hernandez is having his finest season to date. He’s currently in the midst of an All-Time Major League record, having thrown at least seven innings while surrendering two or fewer runs. King Felix is a lock for his second Cy Young award and if he continues his pace, there’s a chance he could win the MVP.
Following King Felix is Hisashi Iwakuma. Only a handful of teams in the game have the luxury of two aces. The M’s have that luxury, with Iwakuma and Hernandez. Iwakuma is enjoying his finest season, so far, in his brief MLB career.
Veteran hurler Chris Young has been a model of consistency for the M’s. The Mariners signed Young at the end of spring training and he’s the front-runner for Comeback Player of the Year. The 6’10 right-hander has a 3.20 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP — not bad for a third starter.
The bullpen is the best bullpen in baseball. 37-year-old closer Fernando Rodney, who’s tied for saves in the American League with 35 out of 37 opportunities, anchors it. Last year’s closer, Danny Farquhar, is thriving as the eight-inning set-up specialist. There’s been little turnover in the bullpen and each reliever has excelled in their roles.
All-Stars Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager have been studs. Cano is among the league leaders in batting average and his power numbers are starting to warm up with the weather. Seager is tied with rookie catcher Mike Zunino in home runs with 18. Seager has a good shot at winning his first gold glove.
Now, for the glass half-empty approach:
First baseman Logan Morrison is near the bottom of most offensive categories for first basemen. Morrison has a .226 BA with a .635 OPS and 6 home runs in 61 games this year. Playoff teams don’t have this production from a first baseman.
Right field is a disaster. It’s a platoon of nobodies with nobody stats. Chris Denorfia, Endy Chavez, and Stefen Romero — yikes. Michael Sanders is due back in a couple of weeks to hopefully shore up this position.
Whatever viewpoint you take, it’ll be a fun August and September for Mariners’ fans. It’s been a tough decade of baseball. In 2001, the Mariners tied an all-time record of 116 wins, only to crash and burn in the first round of the playoffs. This subsequently left the Mariners on a short list (Washington Nationals) of teams never to have played in the World Series.
Since that time, the Mariners have slowly rebuilt from the Bill Bavasi era, with Manager Lloyd McClendon being their eighth manager. Things are looking up, but there are still some questions.
Will newly acquired Kendrys Morales get into mid-season form after a lengthy hold out? He has showed signs, having hit home runs in his last two games. Can the Mariners continue to roll out rookie shortstops — Chris Taylor and Brad Miller?
Whatever the case, at least we’re talking about Mariners baseball in August, as they head into Detroit to battle for the second wildcard position with the Tigers.
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