Despite the strange choice to trade away their closer at the trade deadline, the Seattle Mariners are one of the hottest teams in the league. Riding perhaps the league’s best rotation and a red-hot offense, the Mariners swept the division-rival Houston Astros.
The @Mariners secure their 6th series sweep of the season and their first sweep of Houston since Aug. 9-12, 2018 (4 G).
Seattle has won 6-consecutive games, improving to 16-4 over its last 20 games.
— Mariners PR (@MarinersPR) August 20, 2023
In August alone, the Mariners are 14-4. The hot streak comes on the heels of Seattle’s one significant trade deadline move, in which closer Paul Sewald was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks. In return, the Mariners received two advanced prospects and a utility player. However, the Mariners’ surge has been mainly on the backs of their existing players. Let’s look at how Seattle has played so well and why the Sewald trade has yet to sink the ship.
Was Seattle’s Bullpen Underrated?
Usually, trading away a high-caliber closer in midseason indicates that a team is selling to reload for the future. Contenders don’t trade away a player with such value if they intend to be playing in October. Sewald came with an additional year of club control beyond 2023. He was a legitimately valuable asset to have on a roster. However, Seattle hasn’t shied away from surprising or unique deals in the past. The Sewald deal was not even the first of its type; Mariners, closer Kendall Graveman, was traded to the Astros at the 2021 deadline. This time around, Seattle has thrived even with the subtraction. In 2021, they missed the playoffs. So, what’s different?
The Mariners’ playoff hopes are supported by elite bullpen production, particularly in August. Since the trade deadline, Mariners relievers are 4th in baseball in ERA (2.54) and tied for the league lead in WAR in that same span (1.1). Right-hander Andrés Muñoz has taken over closing duties, going 5-6 in save opportunities. The rest of the bullpen has been just as automatic. Sunday’s game showcased this perfectly: starter Emerson Hancock only lasted two innings, and lefty Tayler Saucedo could not retire any of the five batters he faced. All five scored in the inning. However, six Seattle relievers allowed only one run in the next seven innings, striking out eight and only allowing six hits. The game characterized the bullpen’s August month, picking up their peers’ slack and securing a close divisional victory.
Clicking on All Cylinders
Despite the bullpen’s dominance in August, Seattle has also been bolstered by a strong starting rotation all season. Seattle’s starters boast the sixth-best ERA in baseball this year (3.86), a figure from the league’s lowest walk rate (2.01 BB/9). Seattle’s pitchers fill up the zone. Despite having a mediocre strikeout rate (8.42 K/9, 15th in MLB), the pitching staff has been one of the most effective in the league. Young starters Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, and Bryce Miller have formed the team’s backbone behind ace Luis Castillo, and their arms have kept the bullpen fresh and compelling.
In addition to a strong top-to-bottom pitching staff, the Mariners playoff push in recent weeks has been sent to another level because of an offensive resurgence. This month, Seattle leads the American League in WRC+ with a 137 mark (100 is the league average), trailing the historically good Atlanta Braves by just three percent. At first glance, some attribute this to Seattle’s return in the Sewald deal. However, the two major-league players that joined the Mariners at the beginning of the month have had marginal impacts. Dominic Canzone, a rookie first baseman, has hit .238 in 47 plate appearances and has been a roughly league-average hitter (104 OPS+). Infielder Josh Rojas has been worse, hitting just .211 in a Mariners uniform and holding a 59 OPS+. The historic stretch by star center fielder Julio Rodríguez has sustained the offense.
Julio Rodríguez sets a major league record with his 17th hit in his last four games! Ridiculous pic.twitter.com/qcArsul1gD
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 20, 2023
The Playoff Picture Is Changing
With the Mariners’ playoff push coming at the right time, Seattle now holds the third American League Wild Card spot. After overtaking them last week, the Mariners have a half-game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays. They stand only a half-game behind the Astros for the second spot in the Wild Card standings and the AL West. After facing a divisional hole of 3.5 games at the trade deadline, Seattle has proven they are a severe contender to October and built to threaten a deep run. Looking back on the Sewald trade, it’s clear that the Mariners dealt from a position of strength, and their faith has paid off. If it continues, Seattle will threaten their division and the World Series trophy two months from now.
Main Photo Credits: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
