The Seattle Mariners are off to a solid start this year. Many analysts thought that Seattle would finish in the middle of the pack before the season, but the way they’ve played thus far is unexpected. As of Friday morning, the Mariners sit atop the AL West with a 30-25 record and a 0.5-game advantage over the Houston Astros. They’ve managed to position themselves in first place with key injuries throughout their roster. They’re currently missing three key positional players in Victor Robles, Ryan Bliss, and Luke Raley. The M’s are also missing their best pitcher in Logan Gilbert, as well as three other right-handers from their rotation. Seattle likely won’t be able to stay atop the division if they don’t get some players back from the disabled list, but they’ve thrived in the early season due to timely hitting and a respectable team ERA. It feels like there’s a baseball energy back in the Pacific Northwest. The following are three things the Mariners need to do to surf the wave.
Keep Hitting
For a long time, the M’s have struggled to hit at T-Mobile Park. Their home field doesn’t feel like much of an advantage. T-Mobile is considered the hardest-hitting park in the league. According to baseballsavant.mlb.com, the Mariners’ home field was considered the hardest place to get a hit from 2023-25. Previously, it was ranked 27th.
Even with the difficult dimensions, Seattle needs to find a way to produce. The MLB is different now, and there’s less of an emphasis on average, but the M’s haven’t had a batter hit above .300 since Jean Segura did so in 2017 and 18.
Jorge Polanco and Dylan Moore are currently leading the team with a .266 average, followed by Cal Raleigh at .260. The Mariners rank 20th in the MLB with a team average of .237.
However, what the M’s lack in batting average, they make up for with power.
Seattle ranks sixth in the league in home runs, up six spots from last season.
If they can continue at this clip, it’ll give opposing pitchers something to fear when stepping onto the mound. Raleigh leads the team with 19, followed by Julio Rodriguez and Polanco at 10. Raleigh’s 19 are tied for second in the MLB.
The final area where Seattle has remained sturdy is base on balls. The M’s are currently third in the league with 213 walks; they finished 4th in the league in 2024.
They’ve improved tenfold in this area ever since Dan Wilson, Kevin Seitzer, and Edgar Martinez took over.
Pitching Forever
The Mariners have long been known for their pitching staff. Whether it’s the Gilbert/Bryan Woo combination or Felix Hernandez/Hisashi Iwakuma, this has felt like the strong point of their team forever.
This trend has continued this year.
The Mariners are currently ranked 15th in the MLB in team ERA, which looks underwhelming, but is solid considering they’ve been without Gilbert since April 26th. He will begin a Minor League rehab assignment this week for the Tacoma Rainiers. He leads all starters with an ERA of 2.37.
Gabe Speier has the lowest ERA on the team at 2.18 runs per outing.
Another key piece to Seattle’s pitching rotation is Woo. The M’s rotation has stayed afloat largely because of his consistency.
He’s proven a reliable second option for the Mariners. In ten starts, he’s 5-2, with an ERA of 2.40, and he also leads the team in innings pitched at 63.2
The final reason Seattle remains a solid pitching team is due to Andres Munoz. Munoz is on pace to set his career record for saves this season. He has already made 17 saves in 19 tries; his previous record for saves was 22, which he set last year.
He’s the leader of the Mariners’ 11th-ranked bullpen.
The combination of Bryce Miller being reactivated for Seattle’s current homestand, combined with Gilbert’s rehab assignment, should only bolster the staff going forward.
Fun Lovin
The Mariners’ vibe feels different this year. There’s life in the organization even after losing two series in a row.
The energy returned to Seattle during their playoff run in 2022, but quickly died after a tough two-year stint.
The M’s need to capitalize on their fan base now. With the Seattle Seahawks stuck in mediocrity and the Sonics still in Oklahoma City, this is their time.
Rodriguez, Raleigh, and Polanco have provided the star power that has been missing in the organization for quite some time.
It’s been a while since Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz graced Safeco Field.
Whatever the M’s have done, they’ve created a little buzz, and hopefully it keeps buzzing.
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