With six teams making the MLB postseason in both the American and National Leagues starting this year, the Seattle Mariners have an elevated chance of earning a postseason berth. But even with having a good chance at making the playoffs, their likelihood of being a real threat to make the World Series is not all that strong.
With no chance to win their division thanks to the 11.5-game lead that the Houston Astros have on them, their only shot of making the playoffs is through the expanded postseason docket, which sees three wild card teams joining the three divisional winners in October.
As one of 11 teams currently boasting above-.500 records at both home and on the road, the Mariners have exceeded expectations this season, putting themselves squarely in the hunt. But if teams like the Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, and Baltimore Orioles continue to put pressure on Seattle, it may be a tough ask for them to hold on.
Pitching
Their deadline acquisition of Luis Castillo from the Cincinnati Reds helped get the wheels in motion for this year’s trade season, and he has helped support their seventh-best ERA in the league through four starts with SEA. Nine earned runs spread across four starts has given Castillo a look at what playing for a competitive team looks like, something he was not getting back in Cincinnati.
George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, Marco Gonzales, and Robbie Ray make up the rest of their starting rotation, a strong unit that has helped keep games in check before handing the ball over to their 1-2 punch of Andres Munoz and Paul Sewald. Their bullpen has the ninth-lowest ERA this season, aided by Munoz (2.54) and Sewald (2.36), who have 99 games pitched this season combined.
Hitting
Carlos Santana represented their biggest non-pitcher acquisition this season, with most of their work coming back in March with another deal with the Reds. By acquiring OF Jesse Winker and 3B Eugenio Suarez, the Mariners added two power threats to their starting lineup.
36 home runs have been hit between the two former Reds this year, including 23 from Suarez, who also leads the team in games played (122) and RBIs (74). But none of these mentioned players have quite had the impact like Julio Rodriguez has.
Having made his MLB debut on Opening Day this season, Rodriguez has more than earned his AL Rookie of the Month awards for May and June. First on the team in steals and WAR, and second on the team in HRs, RBIs, and average, he is the real deal.
Unfortunately for Mariners fans, even with an easier schedule to finish up the season, it does not look like they will present a real threat to earning the AL’s bid to the World Series. A postseason berth is firmly in their grasp but overtaking the likes of the Astros, Yankees, and others is a tough outcome to picture.
The Mariners have become one of those teams that fans love to root for, even if they are not the team they have allegiance to. Next year may very well be that year for the Mariners, but it does not look like the 2022 season will fulfill any championship aspirations.
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