Uncustomed Heroes of 2024: Mariners

 

This is the stat of the year when it comes to the Seattle Mariners. Opposing offenses hit .220 against the Mariners this year, thanks to the impenetrable rotation and some excellent relief options. The Mariners themselves, however, hit .224 against everyone else. Just for comparison's sake, opposing teams hit .235 against the Dodgers this year, but the Dodgers still hit .258. If nobody can hit your pitching, you need to foster run support. And this was not the Mariners team for run support, not at all.

Some of the best players on this team were mostly defensive wizards who had some contact moments but couldn't do anything too powerful. Dylan Moore is one of those, he's been around for the Ms for years because he's a useful 2B type who can be a utility piece and provide decent bench help. He was one of the best performers on the Mariners this year, which says more about the people that didn't do well than it says about him. Moore only hit .200, but had 10 homers, 42 RBIs and 32 stolen bases, the most on the team. He also won the gold glove for utility men in the AL, which is a big deal.

2025 Prediction: I mean, you have to hope that the offense is good enough that he doesn't *need* to play a big role in this team.

I have a similar opinion on Josh Rojas, who was the Mariners' primary 3rd baseman this year, and honestly shouldn't have been. Rojas, who is now 30, feels like more of a fill-in corner infield choice, and he only hit .225 this year with barely any offensive production. Ultimately, this was Rojas's best defensive season, and that ultimately explained why he had a 2.2 WAR despite striking out more than he hit safely. 

2025 Prediction: I think the Mariners get a better starter at third, and Rojas is better off as a defensive sub somewhere else.

Even bringing back Mitch Haniger, the power hitting fan favorite, didn't work because Haniger's now so banged up that he's way past his prime. In 121 games, which is a lot for Haniger, he only hit .208 with 12 homers and 44 RBIs. This really just sums up this Mariners team, people put in the position to hit for power that repeatedly refuse to.

2025 Prediction: I think unless he actually shows improvement, the Ms give up on him midway through next year.

The Castillo-Gilbert-Kirby-Miller-Woo combination proved to be the winning one this year for the Mariners, but in spots where Woo was too injured to contribute, the team went with their strong sixth option, second-year Emerson Hancock. I mean, comparatively Hancock wasn't quite as smooth as his fellow starters, but he wasn't bad. In 12 games, Hancock held a 4.75 ERA with 4 wins. He's not a high strikeout guy, he's not a 'stay in til 7' guy, he's just a steady enough option, and for a month and a half of work he wasn't bad.

2025 Prediction: I will be surprised if all five starters stay healthy the whole year, so I guess Hancock gets like 15 starts in Seattle. Though I also think he could be trade bait if the Mariners want more hitting. 

The Mariners landing Randy Arozarena was, to me, the most surefire solution to a problem. You need hitting help, get one of the most dangerous hitters in the AL. Arozarena was having a down year, but the bones are still there. Ultimately, in 54 games, Randy showed improvement over his Rays numbers, hitting .235 with 5 homers and 23 RBIs, finishing with a 1.0 WAR with Seattle. It was a solid enough addition, but it wasn't enough to bring this team to October.

2025 Prediction: I think the realization that Randy's gonna be staying in Seattle going forward is one that didn't occur to many people til after the year. Like, 'OH! OH NO!'. Like an end credits tag. Anyway, Randy's gonna hit 30+ homers for the Mariners next year and ensure that there are people who can hit for this team going forward.

As helpful as Arozarena was, Justin Turner, even at 39, might have been more helpful. You aren't sure what he's got left when you trade for someone like Turner, he's past his prime, but he's still a truly excellent competitor. In 48 games he hit .264 with 5 homers and 24 RBIs, plus handled 1st decently. I never would have guessed that Turner would be the more statistically advantageous addition, especially compared to Randy Arozarena.

2025 Prediction: I think that, seeing as he's 2 home runs away from 200, he wants to keep going. So I think he has a halfway decent time DHing in Tampa next year. 

Coming Tomorrow- Marlins baseball wasn't pretty this year, but it did at least show some promise for the future.