All of the metrics say that the Seattle Mariners should not be in this position. They have a bullpen composed of castoffs, a lineup that has almost no power and cannot score, and just one player with a bWAR over 3.0 at this point in the season. A look at the roster would lead one to believe that it has been a long year in Seattle, one that will culminate with a potential top five pick in the 2022 MLB Draft.
And yet, the Mariners find themselves battling for the second Wild Card spot. They have a 70-62 record, and are threatening to pass the A’s for second in the AL West. This points to an impressive performance by manager Scott Servais.
Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais deserves some hardware
The Mariners’ success has been remarkable. They rank 21st in the majors with a -61 run differential; their Pythagorian record sitting at 60-72. As a team, they rank 10th in the AL with their roster producing -8.2 Wins Above Average. But they just will not go away.
That expected collapse appeared to be close to happening. The decision to trade Kendall Graveman, the Mariners’ closer and a popular figure in the locker room, was met with anger. To make it worse, he was sent to the Astros for a part time player in Abraham Toro and a seemingly washed up reliever in Joe Smith.
It would have been easy for the Mariners to implode. Instead, Servais refused to let that happen, getting the team to get their focus back on the diamond and to continue to improve. Toro and Smith have even been key contributors to that success, helping to solidify their spots on the roster.
When it comes to any yearly award, especially for a manager, it is easy to look at the top of the standings and vote for whoever has the most wins. Even if that is not the case, a playoff berth is almost always a prerequisite. That should not be the case in the AL this season, as Servais has done an amazing job with a team that statistically should not be close to a playoff spot.
Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais has done an impressive job to keep the team in the playoff hunt. He should be the AL Manager of the Year.