The Seattle Mariners have had a peculiar, yet expected, 2025 thus far. Seattle enters the All-Star break six games over .500 and five games back of the Houston Astros in the AL West. With Cal Raleigh winning the Home Run Derby, the Mariners might have an added level of steez entering the second half of the season. But they’ll need to find some consistency. The M’s lack fluidity in both their pitching rotation and lineup, which will need to improve after the break. Bryan Woo has been solid all year, but Logan Gilbert will need to return to pre-injury form if Seattle’s going to reach their peak. The Mariners will also need Julio Rodriguez and Randy Arozarena to continue their recent power surge. The M’s have enough pieces to make a run, but not enough pieces not to play their best. This article will examine three things Seattle needs to fix if they’re going to make a run in the postseason.
Logan Gilbert
The first thing that needs to happen in the second half of the season is for Gilbert to last longer in starts.
He was supposed to be the M’s ace this season, but Woo earned that role thus far. It’s not like Logan has been playing terribly, but he could play better.
Since his return on June 16th, he has not lasted more than 5.1 innings. Even before his right elbow flexor strain, he was struggling to go deep in games. He only had one start above 5.2 innings this year. That was the opener against Oakland.
The difference is he’s been allowing more runs since his return in June. His ERA is currently 3.39, which is decent; however, prior to the injury, it was 2.55.
He’s close to pre-injury form as we saw against the Detroit Tigers. But close wasn’t enough against the New York Yankees when he allowed four runs in the start prior.
If he can return to peak form, he and Woo would form a dangerous combination that the Mariners need if they’re going to compete in the postseason.
Gilbert currently has a 3-2 record with his aforementioned ERA, and Woo is 8-4 with an ERA of 2.75. The latter has also gone at least six innings in every start this year.
Luis Castillo rounds out the top three with a 6-5 record and a 3.39 ERA.
Julio Rodriguez
If the Mariners are going to make a nice run in the playoffs, they’ll need Rodriguez to play better. He went ballistic against the Tigers in the series before the break, but before that, he had been underperforming.
Before the series with the Tigers, his batting stats read a .244 average, 11 home runs, and 44 RBIs.
Even though he’s one of the best center fielders in the game, Seattle could still use more productivity out of his bat. If he could bring his average up to his career mark of .272, it would take pressure off the other hitters.
It’s important to note that he was going through a personal struggle during the first half of the season. On May 1st, his house was burglarized, with his girlfriend being the only person home at the time.
His home was targeted, along with other professional athletes and coaches alike, in a string of robberies in the greater Seattle area.
Other notable names on this list include teammate Castillo, former Seattle Seahawk Richard Sherman, and Mariners Senior Director of Hitting Strategy Edgar Martinez.
Even though it’s easy to write this off as a millionaire problem, it’s a human thing.
Rodriguez said in an interview that he felt like he was “taken advantage of.”
His full quote reads, “And when you’re out there helping people, you see these guys kind of like, ‘Oh, I’m going to take advantage of that.’…And like without a care in the world for you or your loved ones.”
It would be easy to beat up on Julio right now, but all M’s fans should consider giving him some support. He was shaken enough to sit out the All-Star Game.
https://www.mlb.com/news/julio-rodriguez-addresses-robbery-at-his-home
What’s Left?
Outside of a couple of their stars performing better, Seattle needs to stay confident.
The M’s culture has long been a staple of mediocrity, and that can prove deadly, particularly in a sport like baseball.
No one is expecting Jorge Polanco to go crazy like he did in April, or Arozarena to stay hot forever, but a few clutch hits would be nice.
With Raleigh having the season he’s having, it won’t take much to make this team pop. He’s hitting just about everything.
“He hits breaking balls, he hits the hard stuff. He hits just about everything, and he’s got power in all fields,” said Manager Dan Wilson in a recent interview. Wilson also added, “he’s dangerous.”
This team isn’t built like the Yankees, but they have quality management in Wilson, Martinez, and Hitting Coach Kevin Seitzer.
As long as they continue to believe in themselves, the second half of the season could prove dope.
They gotta keep the spirit alive.
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