Ten Second Half Predictions for the Seattle Mariners

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JULY 19: Ty France #23 and Julio Rodriguez #44 of the Seattle Mariners smile in the dugout before the 92nd MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard at Dodger Stadium on July 19, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

Well, that was one heck of a first half. We saw the Mariners come out 11-6 and looking like the class of the AL West, then fall all the way to 29-39 with questions about the manager and GM’s job security. Since then, 51-42, a fourteen game winning streak, two all-stars, and the dawn of one superstar.

With the Midsummer Classic behind us, I take a look ahead to the second half, with ten Mariners predictions on what we will see.

Mariners survive the Gauntlet…barely
The Mariners are coming out of the All-Star break as the red hot darlings of baseball. That will be put to the test immediately after the break. The first series back is a pivotal one as the Mariners will be hosting the rival Houston Astros during a sellout weekend. This will begin a 20-game span where the Mariners will play the Astros and the Yankees 13 times. All the hard work that has been done the past three weeks could be ruined in another three weeks. Mariners will go 5-8, holding onto a wildcard spot, but barely.
Mariners lose out on Soto
Jerry Dipoto not only does his due diligence on the Juan Soto sweepstakes, but he also gets to the goal line before coming up just short. In the end, Soto will end up on the St. Louis Cardinals.
Mariners land Montas instead
With the assets saved, Seattle ends up pivoting towards pitching, landing the best arm that is available. With Montas on board, Seattle stakes their claim to the best 1-3 in the American League behind Ray, Montas, and Gilbert.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JULY 09: Cal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners and Robbie Ray #38 meet at the mound during the fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at T-Mobile Park on July 09, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) /

Robbie Ray almost completes the repeat, and finishes second in Cy Young voting Speaking of Robbie Ray, he and his dominant two-seamer continue to wreak havoc on baseball. By the end of the season, he’ll clearly be the best pitcher in the American League, but Ohtani’s body of work over the whole season prices to be too much to overcome.
Julio steals the rare 30/30 season, unanimously wins ROY, enters MVP discussion
Julio springboards his all-star experience into an MVP-level second half. Like Soto took off in the second half of last year after the home run derby, Julio does the same. With a surge of power and skyrocketing rise in his on-base percentage, Julio wins American League Player of the Month in August as Seattle surges into the final month.
He’s the Raleigh Deal
Big Dumper keeps on dumping balls into the bleachers. After a terrible start and demotion, you can make a case that Cal Raleigh has become the best catcher in the American League this season. This unexpected turn of events could drastically change the Mariners ceiling today… and in the future.
Bullpen becomes modern-day Nasty Boys
The bullpen only gets better. With the all-star break allowing the Mariners pen to rest, Seattle relies heavily on the pen to get through the early tough stretch. As the schedule eases up Seattle sees the Nasty Boys 2.0 become the most dominant bullpen in baseball. They win every game that they lead after six innings in the second half.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JULY 17: Baseball Operations President Jerry Dipoto of the Seattle Mariners addresses the media after picking SS Cole Young 21st overall in the 2022 MLB Draft at T-Mobile Park on July 17, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) /

Mariners use dominant September to nearly catch Houston, settle for Wildcard Behind the dominant pen, reinforced offense, and upgraded rotation, Seattle dominates the final 20 games against the worst teams in baseball (Angels, Rangers, Royals, Athletics, Tigers), going 17-3. This second major hot streak propels the Mariners to 96 wins, pushing the Astros to the final weekend of the season, before finally losing the division. Instead, the Mariners settles for the top wildcard spot in the American League. The Seattle Mariners are hosting a playoff series people!
Seattle Sweeps Tampa in the Wildcard Round Meeting the Mariners in the Wild Card Series are the Tampa Bay Rays. With the city ready to explode with excitement, their 21 years of frustration are rewarded by a two-game sweep and beat down on Tampa.
Seattle falls in an epic divisional series battle with New York, the dawn of a new era. Playing with the moniker of the team no one wants to play, Seattle travels to New York for an ALDS series against the heavily favored and 106-win Yankees. After being easily defeated in the first two games in the Bronx, Seattle returns the favor by winning the next two before falling in game 5 on a walk-off win in extras for the Yankees.

Next. Julio Rodriguez was incredibly impressive in 2022 Home Run Derby. dark

A heartbreaking finish that saw the Mariners finally break through, the dawn of a new era in Seattle baseball has begun. They showed they can hang with the best, they just need a little more in the winter to get over the top.

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With the Midsummer Classic behind us, I take a look ahead to the second half, with ten Mariners predictions on what we will see.

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