2020 - Seattle's streak of having good seasons with winning records in even

numbered years was stopped at three in '20 as they finished a poor 27-33.

But Seattle has bounced back and had back to back ninety win seasons in

21 and '22.

□   Current ownership group led by John Stanton and Jeff Smulyan has owned

the club since '16.  Ownership has stuck by GM Jerry DiPoto and manager

Scott Servais thru some growing pains, but has been rewarded for it's patience.

Sort of a middle pockets ownership team. It looks like they'll spend when they're

ready to pounce on talent that will get them to the next level and the

management team they've put in place is starting to produce results.

□   Seattle hired Jerry DiPoto on as GM in '15. He was retained after the John

Stanton led ownership group took control of the club in '16. DiPoto took a minute

to bring success to the Mariners, but two consecutive 90 win seasons

in '21 and '22 has the Mariners pointed in the right direction.

□  Scott Servais has been Seattle's manager since '16 when DiPoto became GM.

Like DiPoto, it took a minute, but Servais has now presided over consecutive

ninety win seasons.

2023 - There's some young talent on the roster so the Mariners look to be in the

mix moving forward. Houston has been a powerhouse lately so there's a high

bar to hurdle for the Mariners to become a legitimate contender for the Division.

2023 - The Mariners dropped two games in the standings to 88-74 from

the previous two seasons, but that was enough to miss the wild card.

They were in it to the last day and finished one game behind Toronto and

two behind World Series champs Texas. Seattle actually improved on their

runs differentials from the previous two seasons and, based on those, would

have finished at 91-71 and made the post season. A shaky bullpen was a

big culprit in the discrepancy as they were losing the close ones.

Seattle's runs scored are around league average. It's the pitching that

makes the Mariners contenders for the post season each year.

2024 - Seattle will contend for a playoff spot this year

2024 - The Mariners were carried by their pitching in '23 giving up 89 runs

less than the league average. The hitting was just about league average.

The Mariners in the offseason focused on getting more consistent hitters and

replaced OF Teoscar Hernandez, OF Jared Kelenic, 3B Eugenio Suarez,

2B Kolten Wong and DH Mike Ford with 2B Jorge Polanco from the Twins,

3B Luis Urias from Boston, former Mariner OF Mitch Haniger from the Giants,

OF Luke Raley from Tampa and C/DH Mitch Garver from Texas.

Offense:

□ C Cal Raleigh, 27, '18 draft 3rd round pick, 30 75 .232

□  1B Ty France, 29,  '20 Trade from San Diego, 12 58 .250

□  2B Jorge Polanco, 30, '24 Trade from Twins, 14 48 .255

□ SS JP Crawford, 29,  '19 Trade from Philadelphia, 19 65 .266

□  3B Luis Urias, 27, '24 Trade from Boston, 2 13 .225

□  OF Mitch Haniger, 33, '24 Trade from SF, 6 28 .209

□  OF Julio Rodriguez, 23, '17 IFA, 32 103 .275

□  OF Luke Raley, 29, '24 Trade from Tampa, 19 49 .249

□  C/DH Mitch Garver, 32, '24 FA from Texas, 19 50 .270

Pitchers:

Seattle had a nice core of three starters last year. A couple of home grown

high draft picks have done really well in Logan Gilbert and George Kirby.

Luis Castillo, who has had an up and down career was up last year.

The Mariners have lots of decent candidates to fill out the last two

spots led by another former high draft pick rookie Emerson Hancock and

a rookie last year who pitched well in Bryce Miller. It was a mystery at the

time and still remains a mystery as to why Jerry DiPoto traded away closer

Paul Sewald to Arizona. Ironically, that move may have cost Seattle a post

season spot while cementing Arizona's post season spot. Andres Munoz

took over the closer role last year and did well. He will close this year.

□  RHP George Kirby, 26, 1st Round pick in '19 draft, 13-10 3.35

□  RHP Luis Castillo, 31, '22 trade deadline from Cincinnati, 14-9 3.34

□ RHP Logan Gilbert, 27, '18 draft 14th overall pick, 13-7 3.73

□  RHP Emerson Hancock, 25, '20 draft 6th overall pick, 0-0 4.50

□  RHP Bryce Miller, 25, '21 draft 4th round pick, 8-7 4.32

□  RHP Andres Munoz, 25, '20 Trade from San Diego, 4-7 2.94 13 saves

□  RHP Matt Brash, 26, '20 Trade from San Diego, 9-4 3.06

2025 - The Mariners appeared poised to make a playoff run in '24 but their

hitting sabotaged them. The pitchers did their part giving up 52 less runs

in '24 than '23, but the hitters dropped off a whopping 82 runs in '24.

Trading away 3B Eugenio Suarez to Arizona and letting OF Teoscar

Hernandez go to LA as a FA were disasters. Mitigating it somewhat was the

acquisition of Luke Raley in a trade with Tampa. Meanwhile, guys the Mariners

were counting on like CF Julio Rodriguez, 24, and SS JP Crawford, 30,

regressed badly, particularly Crawford. Rodriguez's numbers were not that

far off from '23, but he was expected to improve and carry the team, and he

didn't. Only slugging C Cal Raleigh, 28, held up his end of the bargain in '24.

2025 Hitting:

C Raleigh needs to keep hitting, CF Rodriguez needs to turn the arrow upward,

SS Crawford needs to come back from the abyss, OF Arozarena needs to

turn it back around. 1B Raley, OF Robles, and  3B Moore need to keep

hitting like they did last year. That's a lot of if's.

And, it wouldn't hurt if some of their youngsters would come through.

Cole Young maybe this year, Harry Ford maybe next year,

the others probably at least a couple years away.

□ OF Harry Ford, 22,  '21 draft 12th overall pick

□ SS Cole Young, 21, '22 draft 21st overall pick

□ SS Colt Emerson, 19, '23 draft 22nd overall pick

□ SS Michael Arroyo, 20, '22 IFA

□ OF Lazaro Montes, 20, '22 IFA

2025 Pitching:

Seattle gave up 104 runs less than the league average last year.

That's elite. And they are young. Pitching will keep them contending

no matter what the hitters are doing.

The six starters combined for a 59-50 mark, they are all healthy, and, outside

of Luis Castillo, 32, are all still in their mid twenties.

Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, Bryan Woo and Emerson Hancock.

Closer Andres Munoz, 26, and righty Colin Snider, 29, are both elite out

of the pen altho' the rest of the relievers are pretty mediocre.