Mariners Roundtable: Can the M’s Make the Playoffs in 2016?
Riley Baker – @RBake6
84-78, 2nd in AL West
2nd Wild Card Spot
With all the additions and improvements Jerry Dipoto made to the Mariners roster during the offseason, I think this team will get back to winning ways in 2016. I see the M’s finishing in second place in the AL West, right behind the Astros and just in front of the Angels. After the final game of the season, the Mariners will be sitting in the second Wild Card spot, set to play the Red Sox in the one game playoff.
The biggest problem this team faced last year was the bullpen. The M’s relievers accounted for 36 losses and 24 blown saves. They gave up 12 walk-offs and also had a combined ERA of 4.15. With the complete reconstruction Dipoto made to the bullpen, the hope is that this part of the team will see dramatic improvements.
The bullpen wasn’t all that was improved. Wade Miley was added to the rotation and will slot nicely in the 3rd spot behind Hisashi Iwakuma. The 5th spot is still up for grabs with a healthy competition between James Paxton and Nate Karns, both of which would be formidable 5th starters.
Dipoto also made some improvements to the offense, including Norichika Aoki who will be sitting atop the lineup. With his career OBP of .353, he will give the middle of the order plenty of opportunities to drive him in. The addition of Adam Lind adds depth to the lineup, while Leonys Martin will add speed on the base paths at the bottom of the lineup. If Robinson Cano puts up slightly better numbers this year and Nelson Cruz performs anywhere near how he did last year, this lineup should be very fun to watch, especially come October.
Next: Nick expects October baseball in 2016