Mariners left wondering about what could have been

The season is over for the Mariners and despite there being plenty of highlights, they ultimately let themselves and their fansbase down.

The Mariners closed out their 2023 campaign with a 1-0 win over the Rangers, to win the series 3-1. The Rangers are going to the playoffs.

The M’s went 9-4 on the season versus the Astros, who won the World Series last year. The Astros are going to the playoffs.

The Mariners held the tie-breaker over the Blue Jays and had a better run differential compared to their Canadian rivals. The Blue Jays are ….. well, you get the point.

Seattle’s baseball team is sitting at home, having missed out on the AL West by two games and a playoff place by one game. It didn’t have to be like this, and really shouldn’t have been.

Two contrasting months

The Mariners followed up a record-breaking August, with a disappointing September. From a franchise-best 21 wins in a single month, to an inexcusable 12-17 when it mattered most.

How can a team with one of the best pitching staffs in the Majors not be taking part in the playoffs? On the season they were ranked third in ERA, second in walks and tied-second in WHIP.

It just doesn’t seem right that a superstar talent such as Julio Rodriguez won’t get to show what he can do on the big stage. That a team leader such as J.P. Crawford won’t be continuing what has been a career-year at the plate.

Ultimately though, the Mariners are left wondering about what could have been. And in reality, they only have themselves to blame.

The players didn’t perform consistently enough, Scott Servais made too many wrong decisions in critical situations and Jerry Dipoto didn’t do enough to bring in the right talent. And if that sounds unfair, the bottom line is all of these factors contributed to why they didn’t make the playoffs.

More commitment needed

Catcher Cal Raleigh made his feelings perfectly clear, after the Mariners were eliminated in the penultimate game of the regular season. He said:

“We’ve got to commit to winning. We have to commit to going and getting those players you see other teams going out, going for, getting big-time pitchers, getting big-time hitters and we have to do that to keep up.”

Raleigh subsequently apologized for his comments the following day, but remained ademant about his mindset. He said:

“Obviously yesterday was a really emotional day for everybody. I just want to apologize to my teammates, my coaches, fans. It wasn’t a time to talk about what-ifs in that scenario. That being said, I’m not going to apologize for wanting to win and wanting to bring a World Series to the city. They deserve it, the fans do and our organization does, and I’m committed to doing that.”

The catcher is one of the more vocal presences in the clubhouse and you know he was speaking for the majority of the players. In this respect, Crawford backed up Raleigh’s original comments, when he said:

“I’m with him on that. I think we need to go out there and really make a move to help this team win. And however it means doing that, they’ve just got to do it and you’ve just got to get better.”

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An apparent disconnect

What’s concerning is that there seems to be a disconnect between the players and the front office. To be clear though, this is just an opinion rather than a comment written with any inside information.

Regardless, all signs do point towards an underlying frustration from the players’ side. If true, this is something which needs to be resolved, if the Mariners are to progress and thrive.

In this respect, the Mariners are now at a bit of a crossroads. While we don’t predict Dipoto and/or Servais will be fired during the off-season, you have to think they’re running out of time to succeed in Seattle.

The talents is there, but it does need to be enhanced just that little bit more to get this team over the hump. Otherwise, a situation which is full of potential, will turn into one of wasted opportunity.

Mariners finish on a high

George Kirby was phenomenal on Sunday, allowing just three hits and no runs in 6.0 innings. Speaking postgame, he said:

“Super happy the way it finished. Finished on a high note. Unfortunately, (I) wish it was in the playoffs, but we’ll be ready for next year.”

Mariners fans can only hope the team is indeed ready, and committed. Along these lines, we’ll find out how serious the front office is about winning, by what they do in the coming months.

The Mariners theoretically already did most of the hard work after deciding to go for a full rebuild several years back. However, if they aren’t prepared to spend major money to strengthen the roster, then was it even worth it in the first place?

This is a good ballclub, they just need a little more help, especially with so much at stake. Because if the Mariners once more fail to qualify for the playoffs next season, it’s almost certainly over for the likes of Dipoto and Servais.

What’s your final analysis of how this season went for the Mariners? What do you believe needs to be done, to get them to the next level? Let us know in the comments section below.