Final season, the Seattle Mariners made the playoffs for the primary time in 20 years. This season, they’re contenders to win the World Collection for the primary time within the 47-year historical past of the franchise.

The Seattle Mariners have seldom counted themselves among the many MLB’s elite. Since enjoying their first sport in 1977, the group has an all-time successful share of .474, and has made the playoffs simply 5 occasions.

Depend MLB Insider Jeff Passan amongst those that imagine the Mariners have seldom had a greater shot at successful a title.

“I don’t suppose playoffs are the one limitation at this level. I feel the ceiling for this group is championship.” — MLB Insider Jeff Passan on the Seattle Mariners

Passan believes Seattle’s near-endless cycle of tearing down and constructing again up has reached an finish, saying:

“The concept that they’re coming in with a roster that’s championship-caliber this yr, I feel, speaks to the success of this rebuild” “We are able to say fairly definitively now (that) it’s labored, and I feel it has an opportunity to work even higher this yr than it did final yr.”

The Mariners boast a top-notch beginning rotation in Luis Castillo, Robbie Ray, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, and Marco Gonzales. If any of these 5 slumps or undergo an damage, reliever Chris Flexen has seen success as a starter previously.

Based on Passan, the added beginning pitching depth is essential:

“You simply can’t go right into a season pondering that your entire starters are going to remain wholesome,” mentioned Passan. “That mentioned, beginning pitching is a gigantic energy for this group. Pretty much as good as Robbie Ray has look this spring, nearly as good as Luis Castillo sorted the commerce, with Logan Gilbert including the splitter and coming into his personal in his third yr and with George Kirby’s first full season, that’s fairly a quartet of starters there.”

Seattle Mariners have loads of hitting, too

Buoyed by 2023 American League Rookie of the Yr Julio Rodriguez, the Seattle Mariners additionally characteristic plenty of offensive punches. The group has a brand new cleanup hitter in Teoscar Hernandez, who was acquired by way of commerce from the Toronto Blue Jays this previous offseason. Additionally they have an array of sluggers, corresponding to Ty France and Eugenio Suarez. As soon as-heralded prospect Jarred Kelenic can also be hitting .353 inspring trainingg after struggling to hit simply .168 in two seasons on the major-league degree up to now.