Going into this season, not many people really had faith in the Seattle Mariners. They were a weak team last season, and really their only positive was Felix Hernandez. They had a 71-91 record and were just flat-out bad. However, the 2014 season has been an entirely different story, as this season’s Mariners have a chance to not only make the postseason, but rather win their division.
As of Wednesday, the Mariners have 36 games left in the season. Their record is 68-58, and they are only seven games behind the LA Angels for first place. They are not just better in their record than last season, but they also have better players on the field. Robinson Cano, new offseason addition, is putting up solid numbers even in a down year for him. He is batting .329, with a .397 OBP and 153 hits. He leads the team in all of those categories. Kyle Seager is also having a solid season alongside Cano, as the M’s third baseman leads the club in home runs with 19, and RBI with 78. With both of these guys leading the offense, and King Felix pitching well and anchoring the rotation as usual, the Mariners are the most well-rounded they have been in awhile.
At the moment, the Mariners are one game behind the Detroit Tigers for the second Wild Card spot, but that may not be what they are focusing on catching. They’re just seven games back from the Angels, and it is very possible that they can make a run for the top of the division and avoid the Wild Card all together.
Yes, it’s a stretch, but it’s not at all impossible.
13 of the M’s last 36 games are against either the A’s or the Angels; the two teams in front of them in the division. The M’s also have a lot of games against some not-so-competitive teams. The M’s have at least one series against Texas, Houston, Toronto and Boston; all teams below them in the Wild Card standings. The games against the poorer teams are must-wins for Seattle if they want the division title. Those series’ will make or break the Mariners this season. Consistent wins will put them on top, but too many losses could drop them all the way out of the Wild Card race.
The two teams above Seattle are also hitting more than their fair share of roadblocks. The A’s have sputtered since trading away Yoenis Cespedes, and the Angels just lost breakout ace Garrett Richards to a terrible knee injury, leaving their already shaky pitching staff in terrible condition. The division is suddenly anybody’s game.
The 2014 Seattle Mariners are a much-improved team from last season. The main reason is Robinson Cano, but he has not done it alone. With this team really hitting its stride this season, they have put themselves in position for an incredible late-season run. The Mariners are not guaranteed anything at the moment, but just a Wild Card spot is not what they should be focused on. Seattle should be going for the AL West crown, and nothing less.
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