The Seattle Mariners missed the playoffs by one game in 2023, so that’s where this preview starts. It seems like Mariners fans have been able to say “we missed the playoffs by one game” several times over the last two decades. However, they no longer own the longest active drought in sports. In 2024, the Mariners look to get back into the playoffs.

Where were they in 2023?

Coming off of their first playoff appearance in over 20+ years, people were excited to see what the Mariners would do in 2023. They added Kolten Wong and Teoscar Hernandez to the lineup. They added Justin Topa to the bullpen. Things were looking solid.

Unfortunately, the Mariners caught some bad luck. They finished with the sixth-best record in the American League, but the addition of Wong didn’t work out. They did see some individual success in 2023, but the offense struck out a lot.

Key Losses

Eugenio Suarez – In the hopes of reducing the number of strikeouts throughout the lineup. The Mariners traded Suarez to the Diamondbacks at the beginning of the offseason. Suarez who was classified as a throw-in in the Jesse Winker deal had become a fan favorite in Seattle. To make things worse, the Mariners didn’t add a star third baseman and are likely to deploy Josh Rojas at third.

Teoscar Hernandez – Another player who struck out quite often, the Mariners didn’t bring Hernandez back after trading Erik Swanson for him. He later signed with the LA Dodgers for $23.5 Million.

Key Additions

Mitch Haniger – A leader who helped the Mariners break the drought. Hanny had become a fan favorite in his first stint with Seattle. The only problem is that Haniger has only played 118 games over the last two years due to injury. If he can stay healthy with the Mariners in 2024, then the team could certainly get back to the playoffs and beyond.

Mitch Garver – Garver was the lone offseason acquisition that happened prior to the new year and it came on Christmas Eve. Another guy who has not played a lot of games over the last two years. He does fulfill what the Mariners want, which is to strike out less. The hope is that making him the DH can help keep him healthy.

Jorge Polanco – It’s been a revolving door at second base for several seasons. We’ve seen guys like Jose Caballero, Dylan Moore, Wong, Abraham Toro and Adam Frazier all play at the position. The Mariners are hoping to at least find some stability with Polanco and possibly with a prospect in the next few years.

Depth Chart:

Lineup: SS J.P. Crawford, CF Julio Rodriguez, 2B Polanco, DH Garver, C Cal Raleigh, RF Haniger, 1B Ty France, LF Dominic Canzone, 3B Rojas

Bench: C Seby Zavala, INF/OF Moore, OF/1B Luke Raley, INF Luis Urias

Rotation: Luis Castillo, George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, Bryce Miller, Bryan Woo

Bullpen: CL Andres Munoz, SU Ryne Stanek, Gabe Speier, Taylor Saucedo, Trent Thornton, Tyson Miller, Cody Bolton, Austin Voth

IL: Matt Brash, Gregory Santos, Jackson Kowar

The pitching staff is going to be the strength of this team. There’s no doubt about that. The Mariners have been unlucky with the injury bug to their lineup for several years now, in 2024 they can only hope that that changes. It has not been a pleasant start, however, losing both Brash and Santos to start the season hurts the bullpen. If the lineup can stay healthy it should be solid, we have seen some improvements from France this spring. That was one of the biggest things the Mariners needed heading into the new year.

Where are they hoping to go?

First and foremost, the Mariners are hoping to get back to the playoffs. They’ve been picked as a dark horse contender for the World Series, so if everything works out like planned then Mariners fans could be in for the best season in franchise history.

Win Projection: 88-89 wins

World Series Odds: +2000 (Via FanDuel)

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