The Seattle Mariners are tired of missing out on the playoffs. They fell short last season after winning 90 games, their most since the 2003 season. Now, the Mariners are leaning hard into their current core and are hoping to break their 20-year playoff drought.
After adding stars Robbie Ray, Jesse Winker and Adam Frazier, Seattle is signing one of the key players they developed to a new deal. According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Mariners are signing shortstop J.P. Crawford to a contract extension worth $51 million over five years.
Crawford, 27 years old, is a defensive stud at shortstop, winning the Gold Glove Award in 2020. Last season, he posted the best hitting season of his career with a .273/.338/.376 slash line, 27 doubles and nine home runs in 160 games. He has improved at the plate steadily over his career and could become an All-Star if he keeps doing so.
Seattle has a lot to prove this season. Their run differential from last season suggests that they overachieved. With a new cast of stars entering the mix, they could show that their run last season was no fluke.
Top prospect Julio Rodriguez is joining the Mariners this season, too. He joins an outfield with fellow top prospect Jarred Kelnic, slugger Mitch Haniger and the aforementioned Winker. Crawford is a key part of an infield that touts Frazier and strong hitter Ty France.
Thanks in large part to Crawford's terrific play, Mariners overcame their theoretical win-loss discrepancies and coined the term “fun differential” on their playoff push. If they can successfully make the postseason in 2022, the fun differential will be off the charts.
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