Critical week ahead for Mariners as midway point of season nears
SEATTLE — Baseball's never quite this straightforward, but in a way, you could look at this past weekend as a microcosm of the Mariners season thus far.
A frustrating loss on Saturday, a game the Mariners absolutely should have won and probably would have on most nights. The one that makes little sense amid a roster full of talent.
Then, there's the win that provides optimism. The Mariners working that patented magic to overcome an incredible 16-strikeout effort from White Sox starter Lance Lynn and win the game 5-1.
Like, how does any of that make sense?
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That's how some Mariners fans feel overall with the team at a .500 record (35-35) at the 70-game mark of the season.
The talent and potential is the same as it was before the season. Games like Sunday remind us of that. Games like Saturday are why the Mariners aren't closer to a playoff spot than they are right now.
For the record, the official midway point is at game 81, which is at home July 1 against Tampa Bay.
THIS WEEK
- Mariners at Yankees: Tuesday-Thursday
- Mariners at Orioles: Friday-Sunday
So, why am I optimistic about the next 92 games?
It's not just Sunday's performance.
Resilient rotation
Before the season, the depth of the Mariners starting pitching was equally as impressive as the talent.
Luis Castillo, Robbie Ray, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and Marco Gonzales — with Chris Flexen there as the long reliever or emergency starter.
Since then? Ray underwent season-ending surgery, Gonzales is on the IL and Flexen was unable to grab one of those rotation spots after some early struggles.
Yet somehow, in a testament to the Mariners front office, the rotation is still as formidable as they come.
Certainly, once you start any rotation with Castillo, Gilbert and Kirby you're in great shape.
But the Mariners farm system, even after some trades over the last 12 months, is still feeding the big leagues with incredible arms.
Bryce Miller has been magnificent. The rookie from Texas ran into trouble in consecutive starts, but a brief break provided by manager Scott Servais has resulted in back-to-back gems for Miller, including going seven innings and earning the win over the White Sox.
Bryan Woo, 23, started in place of Gonzales on June 3 against Texas. That was a rough outing, but Woo has responded with respectable showings in the two starts he has had since.
That's perhaps the most impressive factor with the two rookies: they ran into adversity and fought through it. You can't teach that, especially with rookies. They'll help the Mariners weather the storm of injuries and potentially help lift this team to the postseason.
Injuries are expected; it's why the M's kept Flexen as a so-called sixth starter. What was unforeseen was Miller and Woo rising to the occasion, (Woo was in Double-A before his debut!) and let's not forget, Emerson Hancock is still waiting for his opportunity.
This team never quits
If there was something that endeared Seattle baseball to fans across the country in 2022, it wasn't just the fact the M's ended the drought.
It's how they ended the drought.
Remember, that team was 10 games below .500 in mid-June, rolled off 14 wins in a row and found a way to end a 21-year drought.
That same team was down 8-1 in Game 2 of the wild-card game on the road at Toronto and found a way to close out that series.
These guys didn't change. They still have that fight.
It's how a season with a start that isn't bad, but also isn't what the team hoped for or expected, hasn't derailed.
It's how you overcome 16 strikeouts to win.
It's how you turn a 35-35 record into a playoff bid.
They haven't done that last one... yet.
While we've rightfully lauded the rotation, I think the bats are due for a big-time breakout. It feels like so many players are circling in for a landing.
That's the big thing that many fans miss, you can't just skim the averages or OPS of a lineup and declare it done or unable to rally. You have to watch the games.
In a very basic example — not even scratching the surface, really — a bomb hit by Eugenio Suarez gets robbed about a foot over the wall in an amazing defensive play by Jesus Sanchez of the Marlins. That doesn't show up anywhere, but it's a little sign you can look at and realize this team is playing better than you'd surmise by just looking at numbers on paper.
Eventually, those breaks will go the Mariners way.
And when they do, look out.