5 Mariners that Need to Step Up in the 2nd Half

Jul 9, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners first baseman Logan Morrison (20) celebrates with second baseman Robinson Cano (22) after defeating the Los Angeles Angels 7-1 at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

It is hard to dispute the notion that the first half of this season has been a colossal disappointment for the Seattle Mariners. Many baseball pundits had the Mariners winning the American League West, and more than a few had Seattle taking the World Series. Unfortunately, the M’s have failed to meet expectations thus.

Through the first 89 games of the 2015 season, the Mariners are 7 games under .500 at 41-48. Despite the ugly win-loss record, Seattle still has an outside chance of making the postseason for the first time since 2001. The M’s are 7.5 games back of the AL West leading Los Angeles Angels, and sit 7 games out in the wildcard race. MLB.com paints a bleak picture, as they give Mariners just an 8.2% chance of making the playoffs. However, I don’t put much stock in their projections.

With the trade deadline looming, Jack Zduriencik is sure to tinker with his roster. There are a number of players available via trade who help catapult the M’s into contention, but today we will take a look at 5 players currently on the roster who have to step up in the second half of the season.

I will get the most obvious name out of the way first, and star the slideshow by discussing Robinson Cano.

Next: Robinson Cano

Jul 10, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano (22) makes a face after swinging at a pitch in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports

Robinson Cano – 2B

2015 has been the season from hell for Robinson Cano. Seemingly everything has gone wrong for the $240 million dollar man this year. Poor performance, mental miscues and bad luck have defined the season for Robby.

Cano is having the worst season of his career, hitting a measly .251 with 6 home runs and 30 RBI’s through 86 games. His .290 on base percentage and .370 slugging percentage both represent career lows. He has made a number of embarrassing base running gaffs, including a mistake at Dodger Stadium in April that little leaguers would never make. He has also had a stomach bug that hit him hard in Tampa, and an errant warmup throw that hit him even harder in Anaheim.

It is not clear at this time whether his decline is due to injury, age or personal problems. Regardless, the Mariners will need much more from their superstar second baseman over the final two and a half months if they hope to reach the promised land. I fully believe he will get back to his old ways, but whether the turnaround will happen this season is anyone’s guess.

Next: Kuma

Apr 20, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon (21) relieves pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma (18) from the mound during the sixth inning against the Houston Astros at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Hisashi Iwakuma – SP

This season has not been kind to Hisashi Iwauma. He sports a 1-1 record with a 5.22 ERA across 5 starts in 2015. Kuma has struck out 20 and walked 5 over the course of 29.1 innings pitched. He is allowing 1.227 walks/hits per inning, which matches a career high. Iwakuma’s biggest problem has been the long ball. He is leaving far too many of his pitches over the middle of the plate, and has surrendered 9 home runs this season.

The 34-year-old right-hander finished the 2014 season going 3-3 with a 7.88 ERA over his last 7 outings. Unfortunately for M’s fans, Iwakuma’s poor performance down the stretch appears to have carried over into this season. Injuries have been a problem for Kuma throughout his big league career, and he missed nearly 3 months this year recovering from a lat strain.

It is hard to believe, but Iwkauma represented the Mariners at the 2013 All-Star Game, and finished 3rd in Cy Young Voting that year. Kuma showed signs of life by hurling 8 shutout frames his last time out. Seattle will need him to keep it going if they have any hope of making a playoff push this summer.

Next: LoMo

Jul 10, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners first baseman Logan Morrison (20) reacts to striking out in the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Safeco Field. The Angles won 7-3. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports

Logan Morrison – 1B

Logan Morrison is one of the most popular players on the team, and he is a personal favorite of mine. In May and June he was one of the best players in the M’s lineup, but that seems like a lifetime ago. LoMo is hitting .229 with 12 home runs and 33 RBI’s across 87 games in 2015. His .300 on base percentage is amongst the best on the team, but his .385 slugging percentage is somewhat hollow.

Inconsistency has been the story for LoMo this season. He has had a pair of decent months at the dish sandwiched in between a couple of awful months. Morrison hit .273 in May after hitting just .197 in the opening month of the season. His hot hitting continued in June as he posted a .253 batting average. However, that number has fallen to just .125 in July.

Lloyd McClendon made the strange decision to move him to the top of the lineup for an extended period in June, and predictably, LoMo struggled in the new role. Morrison is hitting .210 across 21 games hitting out of the leadoff spot for Seattle this season. He is at his best when hitting 6th in the lineup, and that is exactly where he should be moving forward.

LoMo put this team on his back last September, and nearly carried them over the threshold into the postseason. He has a Jay Buhner quality to him, and that is a huge compliment. Morrison is the emotional leader in the clubhouse, and his personality is often more valuable than his stats. However, he needs to get back to the player we saw in May if this team has any hope of gaining ground in the AL West.

Next: F-Rod

Jun 2, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon (23) argues a checked-swing call by first base umpire Will Little (93) during the third inning at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Lloyd McClendon – Manager

The Seattle Mariners had a shocking rise to relevancy last summer, and the presence of Lloyd McClendon was a huge reason why. Lloyd arrived in Seattle with the reputation as a fiery skipper famous for his short fuse. Instead, the Mariners’ got a players manager who is intensely loyal to his guys. That worked last season, but the ‘Lloyd McClendon Loyalty’ plan has let the team and the fans down in 2015.

Lloyd was the hitting coach for Jim Leyland in Detroit before coming to Seattle, and one would have thought he would have learned something from the Jose Valverde debacle. Instead, McClendon has replicated the same blind faith Leyland showed Valverde this season with Fernando Rodney. Carson Smith went 5 for 5 in save opportunities after Rodney was finally removed from the 9th inning role. The fact that Rodney was reinstated as the M’s closer in June was a fireable offence in my opinion.

The constant shuffling of the lineup is another infuriating trend this season. No team in the league has had as many different batting orders this season. Logan Morrison hitting leadoff had to be the strangest lineup related decision made this season in baseball. Brad Miller is another player poorly utilized by McClendon in the M’s batting order. He excelled hitting at the top of the lineup earning AL Player of the Week honors in May. However, Lloyd has only given Miller 16 starts hitting 1st or second in the Mariners’ lineup this season.

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• Thank you for a Memorable Year, Abraham Toro and Jesse Winker!
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Lastly, the mental mistakes committed by the M’s in 2015 are inexcusable. Personally, I have never witnessed a team with so much talent make so many poor decisions. Seattle has had big trouble running the bases. So much so that McClendon actually had to gather the team around each base prior to a game and discuss the basics of base running midway through the season. This kind of stuff never happens in the big leagues. The Mariners have not looked prepared to play since day 1 in 2015, and that falls squarely on the shoulders of the man in charge.

I still like Lloyd, and I think he can be a good manager. However, this team has underperformed badly, and they need a skipper who does not play favorites. I appreciate his loyalty, and further more I respect it, but he needs to demonstrate more loyalty to the fans. Honestly, I am not sure Lloyd is the right guy to lead this group anymore. But if he can get these guys to start having fun again, anything could happen.

Next: Mariners First Half Report Card

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• Mariners Select Chris Clarke in Rule 5 Draft
• Thank you for a Memorable Year, Abraham Toro and Jesse Winker!
• Winter Meetings Wrap Up: Checking where the Mariners stand