With the Seattle Mariners starting spring training and barely missing out on the postseason in 2023, a lot of eyes will be on the Mariners to see if they can put everything together to win the American League West in 2024. Ahead of the start of the 2024 season, we'll be making our Mariners bold predictions for 2024.
The Mariners broke their playoff drought in 2022, and advanced to the ALDS after sweeping the Toronto Blue Jays in the Wild Card round, but missed the playoffs in 2023 by one game behind the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros. It was a tight, three-way race for the American League West in 2023, and despite being one of the hottest teams in MLB in the second half, it was not enough to make the playoffs for the Mariners.
Now, the Mariners are trying to take the next step in 2024. Seattle has some of the best young talent in baseball, and it was put on full display in the second half of last season. It would have been interesting to see how the Mariners would have fared in the playoffs, but now they will try to continue to play the way they did in the second half of 2023. If they do that, they will be in great shape for the 2024 season.
With that being said, it's time to get into our Mariners 2024 bold predictions.
Julio Rodriguez is a finalist for American League MVP
When talking about the Mariners' sluggish first half in comparison to the second half, Julio Rodriguez's performance in those times directly correlate to the overall team performance.
When you look at Julio Rodriguez's overall stats, they were really good last season, hitting .275 with a .333 on-base percentage, 32 home runs and 5.9 WAR, according to FanGraphs.
It is telling of Julio Rodriguez's talent that he had what seemed like a sluggish first half, then finished with those numbers overall on the season. Rodriguez has already stated that he would like to be more consistent this season. That will not only help the Mariners compete, but if he does that, he should be in the running for the MVP award in the American League.
Expect Rodriguez to be a finalist for the American League MVP award at the end of the season.
Bryan Woo puts it all together
Bryan Woo is one of the Mariners' young arms that they are depending on to be a regular in the rotation. He was mentioned in some potential trade rumors, but the Mariners decided to hold onto him to try to help them contend in 2024.
Woo's fastball is his best pitch, but the secondary pitches lagged behind in quality during his rookie season in 2023. The good news is that Woo was called up earlier than expected. The 18 games of experience he got in 2023 should be great for him in the long term.
Whether it is his slider, changeup or cutter, expect Woo to establish himself as one of the Mariners' staples in the rotation alongside Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and Bryce Miller. This will only add to an already strong starting rotation.
Mariners win the American League West
Playing in the American League West, it is bold to say that the Mariners will beat out both the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros, who have a long track record of contending. Especially considering that PECOTA has the Mariners projected to finish in third behind those two.
However, the Mariners should be right in the conversation for the division once again. A more consistent campaign from Rodriguez along with the team's strength in starting pitching gives them a ton of potential. Expect the Mariners to take the American League West crown in 2024.
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