The Mariners, who have faced decades of disappointment, might finally be in a position to make a run at the postseason.
New customers only. Must be 21+. AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, LA, MI, NJ, NY, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY only. Full T&C apply.New users only, 21 or older. NY, CO, DC, IA, IN, IL, MI, NV, NJ, PA, TN, VA, WV only. Full T&Cs apply.21+. New customers only. AZ, CT, IA, IL, LA, MI, NJ, NY, PA, TN, WV, WY only. T&C applySeattle was among the trendiest title bets entering the season after a 90-win campaign in 2021 that nearly netted this team’s first playoff berth in two decades.
That speaks to just how dangerous this rotation could be come October. Among AL starters with at least 100 innings pitched, the trio of Castillo, Ray, and Logan Gilbert all rank in the top 30 in fWAR – one of just four such trios in the league – and they’re one of five AL trios to all rank in the top 30 in SIERA, which is a solid indicator of future performance.That’s to say nothing of Seattle’s bullpen, which leads MLB in ERA , FIP , and fWAR over the last two months.
And then there’s the lineup, which is stocked full of productive veterans and upstart youngsters with a chance to pop in their first-ever postseason. Rookie Julio Rodriguez has been a revelation atop this order, ranking 15th in the AL in fWAR and 16th in home runs as of Tuesday. He’s one of five Mariners with at least two wins over replacement – tied for the second-most in the AL – and that doesn’t include recent All-Stars Jesse Winker, Mitch Haniger, Carlos Santana, or Adam Frazier.
Elite fielding is often an X-factor in the postseason, and Seattle has that covered, too. The Mariners own MLB’s best fielding percentage and are on pace to commit just 60 errors, which would be the third-best mark across a 162-game season in MLB history.As crazy as it may seem, there’s precedent for a long-shot winner in this market. Just within the last three years, the Braves and Nationals were both dealing as high as +5000 in the midst of their title-winning seasons.
Can these Mariners pull off a similar run? We’ve already seen this team rip off incredible stretches of baseball this season: its 14-game winning streak in July was the longest by any team this year and the most consecutive wins by a team entering the All-Star break in MLB history. They’re one of four teams to win at least 10 straight games entering the break – the other three all won the pennant, and two won the World Series.