A hot start to the 2016 season saw the Seattle Mariners hold on to first place in the AL West for some time.. Hot bats and a decent pitching staff kept them ahead of the Texas Rangers and then-faltering Houston Astros. However, while the M’s have continued to hit, the rotation has fallen off in recent weeks. That, plus an impressive surge by the Rangers and a turnaround by the ‘Stros, now sees Seattle sitting in third place, 8.5 games behind Texas, with a 45-44 record. Can the Mariners catch the injury-riddled Rangers? This is the Mariners 2016 midseason report.
Mariners 2016 Midseason Report
Biggest Surprise
The biggest surprise of the first half goes to first baseman Dae-ho Lee. Lee is in his rookie campaign in MLB, but this is not his first foray in professional baseball. Lee was a force to be reckoned with in both the KBO in South Korea and in Japan’s Nippon League. While it may seem strange to give the “Biggest Surprise” award to someone who mashed in pro baseball elsewhere, there is no denying that a lot of studs who have played pro ball in other countries have come to the MLB and been less than stellar.
Lee, however, has been a great addition to the Mariners lineup. His first half numbers are as impressive as his power, with a .288 BA, a .515 SLG, twelve home runs, and thirty-seven RBI. The only piece of the puzzle that seems to be missing at the moment for Lee is the ability to take pitches and draw walks, which will come in due time as he gains more experience facing MLB pitching.
Biggest Disappointment
For the Mariners, filling out this category has been a group effort; the entire pitching staff has turned out to be a big disappointment. Early on, things seemed to be looking up. The starting pitchers were looking tight, and the bullpen was on point. Then something happened. What that something is, no one is sure. But it happened. Starters and relievers alike began dropping to the DL like flies, and ERAs started to balloon. At the All-Star break, only three pitchers (SP and RP) have W-L records over .500.
Midseason MVP
Robinson Cano is the King in the North of the West Coast. Cano is currently batting .313, slugging .555, and has twenty-one home runs with fifty-eight RBI. He is currently on pace to shatter his previous record for homers in a season (33), along with giving his RBI career high (118) a run for its money. He is on pace to have the best offensive season of his career. For a player who has batted over .300 in eight out of his twleve seasons in the league, that is truly saying a lot.
What to Watch For in the Second Half
The Mariners are currently sitting in third place of the AL West, 8.5 games back from the first-place Texas Rangers, and three games back from the second-place Houston Astros. If the pitching staff can bounce back from a first half plagued by injury and avoid the same slide into mediocrity they just suffered, the Mariners will make some noise in the West. But if the pitching can’t get it together, tune in for no other reason than to see Cano and Lee put on one helluva show.
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