1. When can the Mariners contend?
Mariners fans may have felt like 2021 was the year to win the moment Kelenic was called up. He and fellow top prospect Logan Gilbert arrived at the same time and fans saw a glimpse of the future.
But Kelenic’s demotion does not change much about the team’s chances right now. It was clear he was not ready and he ended up being a problem in the lineup away. That will change in the near future, but for now he was not doing much to help.
The Mariners enter Tuesday with a 30-31 record, good enough to be five games back of the Oakland Athletics in the American League West division. The minus-54 run differential is alarming, but fans still have hope.
The goal was not to win in 2021. Yet players like Mitch Haniger, Kyle Seager, and J.P. Crawford are all producing at solid levels. Kyle Lewis was doing the same before his injury. Fans are now hoping the team continues to push for victories and avoids the alternative of trading away every productive player who is no longer a prospect.
Kelenic not being ready just yet is a bummer, but the Mariners did not enter 2021 with World Series aspirations. Well, the players might have, but not the front office.
That just means the young prospect can continue to adjust to the MLB game and prepare himself for when the team is indeed ready, because he is going to play a big part in the team’s future success. And if he can’t turn it around, well, Mariners fans don’t want to deal with that thought just yet.