Seattle Mariners: Playoff Push in Full Effect

The Seattle Mariners have been on an absolute tear in the month of August, winning 10 of their last 13 games.

It has become a tradition over the last decade for Seattle Mariners fans to not want to  dream of big seasons. They never materialize, despite how optimistic the circumstances may seem. Seattle fans were left impersonating the Chicago Cubs, fans in the “next year” doctrine.

Before the 2015 season, many of baseball’s experts were choosing Seattle as their trendy pick to reach the World Series. Fans in Seattle fell prey to the hype that surrounded the addition of Nelson Cruz to a lineup that also featured one of the best second baseman, Robinson Cano, of our time. Add Kyle Seager and the Mariners would surely improve their offensive that ranked near the bottom of the league for what seemed like forever.

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The Mariners finished 10 games below .500, 76-86, and in fourth place in the American League West division.

Seattle fans haven’t been able to celebrate the Mariners reaching the playoffs since the 2001 season. For some context, the Mariners had a right fielder who ended up winning the AL Rookie of the Year award as well as the Most Valuable Player award that season. His name is Ichiro, and he helped win a record 116 games for Seattle that season. Even with one of the greatest team in the history of baseball, the Mariners were beaten 4-1 in the ALCS by the hated New York Yankees. To this day the Mariners remain one of just two teams (Nationals)  to never reach a World Series.

Fast forward to the present day and you’ll find the Mariners just 2.5 games back of a Wild Card spot with a 62-54 record. Even the AL West-leading Texas Rangers are only 5.5 games ahead.

The starting rotation is finally recovering from injuries to Felix Hernandez, James Paxton and Taijuan Walker, and the bullpen allowed just two runs over their last 30 1/3 innings. The league awarded Seattle’s bullpen with the “Bullpen of the Week” award. The addition of Edwin Diaz to the bullpen has been a huge boost. Having taken over for former closer Steve Cishek, who is currently on the disabled list, Diaz has been nearly perfect in the closer role. The rookie reliever is six-for-six in save opportunities and set a Major League record as the fastest player in the history of the league to record his 50th strikeout.

Seattle’s offense is holding up their end as well, currently ranking third in the league in home runs (163) and ninth in OPS (.758).

With 46 games remaining on the Mariners schedule, catching up to the Rangers to win the AL West, or at least earning a Wild Card spot is not impossible. In fact, if they continue to play how they have in August, it’s likely they’ll make the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, the longest current drought in baseball.

Next: Edwin Diaz: Baseball's Next Great Closer

There I go, dreaming big again.