Seattle Mariners: Why They Could be Dangerous if They Make the Playoffs
By Jason Evans
The Seattle Mariners could be a team to be reckoned with if they manage to make the playoffs in the American League
As the American League Wild Card race tightens up, one team that seems to be flying a bit under the radar is the Seattle Mariners. They are only two games out going into the final weekend and face the Oakland A’s at home for four games. The Mariners are 10-5 vs Oakland this year. They only have a 8.5% chance to make it per MLB.com, but hey, crazier things have happened.
If the Mariners make it, don’t think they are going to go quietly into the night and just be happy to make it. This is a team with some weapons.
In the rotation, they can turn to Felix Hernandez, who would be absolutely pumped to make his first postseason start in the Wild Card game. If he doesn’t go, Hisashi Iwakuma is solid, James Paxton has been filthy the past couple of weeks and Ariel Miranda has been a pleasant surprise and an upgrade over Wade Miley, who Miranda was acquired for.
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Out of the bullpen, Edwin Diaz has been a strikeout machine since coming up to the majors. Drew Storen has improved since coming over from the Blue Jays. Steve Cishek has been solid whether at closer or in the setup role. Evan Scribner has been dominant since coming up from AAA. They certainly have enough arms to finish off games.
The Mariners are ninth in ERA, 12th in strikeouts and 10th in batting average against.
Offensively, a middle of the order of Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager can certainly do some damage. Cano has been on fire of late, hitting .311 over his last 30 games with seven homers. Cruz in his last 30 is hitting .302 with nine homers.
The Mariners have solid veteran hitters behind them in guys like Adam Lind, Seth Smith and Nori Aoki who can contribute and help set up the offense or keep the line moving. The Mariners have scored the eighth most runs in baseball. They are 10th in OPS and fourth in homers.
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Yes the Mariners haven’t made the playoffs in a long time. Yes the odds aren’t in their favor at this point. But if, IF they were to get in the postseason, they are a team that has enough pieces to where they could make a little bit of noise.
Don’t sleep on Seattle.