The Italian Job

 

I'd just like to say that nobody is happier about the Mariners sweeping the Astros in three games to take the division than me. I am overjoyed. The math finally makes sense. The better team is ahead of the AL West and in position to make the playoffs as a much stronger version of themselves. The logic checks out!!

The Mariners, being a team with Julio Rodriguez, Cal Raleigh, Randy Arozarena, Eugenio Suarez, Josh Naylor, Jorge Polanco and J.P. Crawford, always had an opportunity to dominate but never quite took advantage. A year after stymieing the league, the pitching has taken a step back, and Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo and George Kirby have all taken far too much time to get to peak levels, which they seem to be at now. Every time the Mariners were in position to lap the Astros, they simply did it, and they backtracked. Heck, in a normal season the Rangers wouldn't even have factored into this at all, and them bursting into the race only to fall apart in September is a lot more palatable knowing that the Mariners' streak started around the same time.

So yeah, the Mariners win 10 games, then as I write this they're on another 4 game winning streak. Things have turned around, and everybody's hitting. Raleigh is now at 58 homers, and still has time to chase Judge this week. Naylor has been a smashing success since joining the Ms, hitting .287 with 9 homers, 29 RBIs and 17 steals. Julio's 2 bags away from his second 30-30 season, and any thought of him trailing off after his breakout has gone away. Randy Arozarena, if he has time to hit 3 more dingers and steal 2 more bases this week, could also break 30-30. And out of nowhere, Dominic Canzone has become an unsung hero of this team, going on a tear in the second half hitting .296 with 10 homers and 29 RBIs. Three of those homers were hit in one game last week, one Canzone will never forget. The offensive insanity of this team more than makes up for the ineptitude of 2024's, and proves that this will not be an easy AL field in a potential playoff scenario.

I say potential because, despite the Mariners being 3 games ahead of the Astros and getting to play the Rockies this week, nothing's set in stone yet. The M's magic number is three, but the Astros can never be counted out, and there's still a chance they still end up in the playoffs, even as the Guardians close in on that spot. I'd love to see a playoff schematic where the Mariners not only get in but have a bye, but that needs one last powerful week from this team in order to happen. I'd absolutely love to see it, and I'd absolutely love to see this team go wild in October. It's not a foregone conclusion yet, but it's so close to being one.

Coming Tonight: He missed some time, but came back to see his team potentially win the NL West again.