Seattle Mariners: The Battle Has Just Begun
Have no shame if you’re a Mariners fan. Your team might have missed the playoffs in 2021 and lost the battle, you’ve definitely not lost the war. Yes, the Yankees and Red Sox made the postseason and you did not. Who cares? What the Seattle Mariners have is hope for a great big, beautiful tomorrow.
That word, hope, might sound cliché and corny, however, hope isn’t something that should be viewed as a desperate term. In this case, hope needs to be looked at as a positive. Folks, if you think this is the last you’ll hear from the Seattle Mariners you’re wrong. This team is different.
The Mariners franchise hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2001. That particular roster finished with 116 wins. You had four players with batting averages over .300 (John Olerud, Brett Boone, Ichiro, Edgar Martinez). Five players had over 140 hits (Ichiro, Mike Cameron, Boone, Olerud, Martinez). Two of those five surpassed 200 hits (Ichiro, Boone). You also had two players steal over 30 bases (Ichiro, Cameron).
That 2001 Mariners team, widely considered as one of the greatest teams of all time, had starting pitching that wasn’t as lethal as the hitting but served the team well. Four starters had 15 or more wins (Jamie Moyer, Aaron Sele, Freddy Garcia, Paul Abbott). Those same four pitchers had 27 or more starts. Those same four pitchers all had over 114 K’s.
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That 116 win team was the last time Seattle made the playoffs. They’ve had talent come in over the years, Felix Hernandez, Robinson Cano, Michael Pineda, Nelson Cruz, Fernando Rodney, and Ichiro was still doing his thing. Despite that, the Mariners haven’t touched postseason grass since the remarkable 2001 season. The Mariners have the longest active streak of no postseason appearances in all of pro sports. Amazing to think with the Sacramento Kings still kicking it.
After this season in Seattle, you need to be hopeful. Although, once again, this isn’t that hold out hope that someday the postseason appearances will magically come. This is real hope. The future for Seattle is brighter than the brightest light on the Space Needle. What makes this failed attempt at getting to the postseason any different?
Let’s look at what the Mariners have to look forward to.
• Jared Kelenic, despite his struggles, has shown glimpses of his massive star potential.
•Kyle Lewis, 2020’s AL ROY, was out for a majority of the season. He’s coming back in 2022.
•You had a relatively underperforming pitching staff by all accounts, but you have a potential ACE in Logan Gilbert just getting his feet wet.
•We saw massive contributions from JP Crawford, Mitch Haniger, Abraham Toro, Ty France, and Kyle Seager. And it’s a safe bet that most are coming back.
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Now, what about who fans have to look forward to? The farm system is deep.
•Some say Julio Rodriguez is the best Mariners prospect since A-Rod (no relation). J-Rod tore through Hi-A, AA, and the Olympics. We are talking about a player that could be the best in baseball.
•There’s Noelvi Marte, considered one of the top SS prospects in baseball. He will be a prominent fixture in the lineup in 2-3 years.
•Another Rodriguez, Alberto Rodrigue,(no relation to the other two) could be the best power hitter in baseball if he makes consistent contact.
•Cade Marlowe is a sneaky player because he has a hit tool that leads us to believe 150+ hits a year aren’t out of the question. And he steals bases.
•Harry Ford, the team’s first-round pick in 2021, widely considered the best hitting high school catcher of some time, he’s going to advance. And he steals bases.
If the Mariners had one Achilles heel it was their pitching. Logan Gilbert was already mentioned, and he’s got a career full of potential.
• Seattle has two top-35 starting pitching prospects who can be in the rotation by mid-season, George Kirby and Emerson Hancock.
•Matt Brash emerged as a potential top of the rotation guy, so much so that Seattle added him to the roster during the final homestand.
•As if that wasn’t enough, Brandon Willamson and Connor Stoudt might end up in AAA rather quickly, meaning they are not far away themselves.
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I’m sure anyone reading this doesn’t really invest too much time in these prospects. After all, they weren’t even close to MLB playing time this year. It’s all potential. However, of all this talent, you’re guaranteed to have some big payoffs.
These payoffs are what the Mariners are banking on towards the future of their roster. You’re looking at an almost unprecedented talent assortment in the Seattle farm system. This is how Cleveland in the mid-late ’90s did it. This is how teams like Tampa Bay are currently doing it. This is why the Chicago Cubs won a World Series for the first time in over 100 years.
Seeing the city embrace the Mariners at the conclusion of the 2021 season gives you an idea of how the city needs this team. The sellout crowds cheer on the team as they fight and claw. These fans are just as tough, just as passionate as the players who wear the uniform. Yeah, maybe some left years ago and are just now embracing the team again. Again, who cares, as this is the time for Seattle baseball to rise once again. Let the fans come back in droves to see the Mariners take back the city.
There’s hope on the horizon for the Seattle Mariners. With the team they currently have, and the minor league reinforcements on the way, the American Lea….ENTIRE MLB needs to be weary of what’s to come. For the first time since 2001, the Seattle Mariners have hope. And let me assure you, that’s a really bad thing for anyone outside of Emerald City.
Image Source: AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
Daniel is a guru of baseball and basketball prospects. He’s a very experienced Amusement Park traveler as well. Follow him and his hot takes on Insta @dgentleman9288
