Don't Look Now, But The Seattle Mariners Are A Legit Playoff Contender
Every year, there's always that one team. There is always that one squad that most of the baseball world gives up on that finds its way into playoff contention. This year it's the Seattle Mariners. Now I've been high on the Mariners for a few years. I was thrilled to see them make it to the postseason and break their 21-year drought a year ago. While they got swept by the Astros after beating the Blue Jays in the wildcard round, I came out of last season feeling like the Mariners would be a threat for a long time. Through 100 games this year, that was not the case. I don't know anyone who felt like the Mariners were a lousy team. No one was calling for a rebuild or a full-on fire sale, but by trading their closer Paul Sewald at the deadline, I think it sent a message that the Mariners, while maybe not punting this season, didn't have a whole lot of faith in what the last 60 games would have in store. But the Mariners have started recapturing some of that 2022 magic since the deadline.
The Mariners have won 12 of their last 14, including seven in a row. They haven't exactly played the best that baseball has to offer, but their schedule over this stretch has not been a cakewalk. Minnesota, Arizona, Boston, and San Diego are teams that range in quality, but they all can put up a really good fight. They also went on the road and swept the Los Angeles Angels, putting a dagger in their potential playoff hopes. There is a stark similarity between this year's Mariners and last year's teams. Last year's team seemed to be floundering for the first few months of the season, but they went into the All-Star break, winning 14 games in a row. It took this year's team a bit longer, but they have also found their stride.
What is it that has allowed Seattle to turn their season around? Well, they've always had a good starting pitching staff. Even with Robbie Ray out, Luis Castillo, George Kirby, and Logan Gilbert are fantastic 1-2-3 in a rotation. The deeper we get into the season, the more critical it is that you have a durable starting pitching staff, and the three pitchers I just mentioned have each started 20 games or more. But the Mariners' pitching staff has been good from the beginning. Their offense is finally starting to see something of a turnaround. Key pieces like Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh, two guys who were huge reasons why the Mariners made it to the postseason last year, have finally started to hit their stride in the second half.
Seeing where the Mariners are now, only two games out of that last wildcard spot, it makes me wish they would've added at the deadline. This offense has seen improvements, but they're missing that one big bat in the middle of the lineup that can make them scary. Shohei Ohtani may be that bat that they add in the off-season. They have the money to do it. It lines up well for Seattle. They play some good teams down the stretch, but they also have a series against the Royals, two series against Oakland, a series against the Mets, and a series at home against the Angels. I don't know if they will make the playoffs, but they're very much going to be in this thing until the very end. Am I confident enough to call them a World Series contender? No, they don't have the depth in their lineup to make that much noise. But could they be this year's Phillies, the team that shocks everyone and gets hot in the postseason? At this point, I have to say yes. 
