As of 09/29/2022, the Mariners panic scale sits at 2.5

Mariners fans are starting to get nervous, and understandably so. For the majority of the summer, the Mariners were one of the hottest teams in baseball. The pitching staff looked good, the offense had started to heat up, and they had gone from a putrid 29-39 to 80-62. Over a stretch of 74 games, they had put together a 68.9% win rate. That would be a 111-win pace for a full season.

However, it’s not a 74-game season. It’s 162 games. Since that 80-62 mark, they have gone 4-8. It’s a bad time to go on a losing stretch. It got me thinking… should we be panicking?

As of 09/29/2022, the Mariners panic meter sits at 2.5 out of 10.

I’m not terribly worried yet. Yes, the M’s have been losing more than they have been winning, and it’s been a struggle against these teams that are supposed to be bad. A hot stretch over this time could’ve potentially had them already locking up a playoff spot, or at least sitting ahead of Tampa or even Toronto.

Instead, they are in the final WC spot, holding a 4.5-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles. The Mariners have eight games left, with one against the Rangers, three against the Athletics, and four against the Tigers. On the other hand, the Orioles have one against Boston, three against the Yankees, and three against the Blue Jays.

The Mariners are still in a good spot, especially after the perfect night on Wednesday. A Mariners win, and losses by Tampa, Toronto, and Baltimore. They have the easier schedule, are playing at home, and still have a decent lead over the Orioles. With a magic number of 3 heading into Thursday night’s game, the Mariners still statistically hold a massive lead over the Orioles, with a 99+% chance to make the playoffs.

It’s why they play the games though. I don’t think there is any doubt or argument that the Mariners need to find some offense. However, I’m just not that worried yet. Yes, I want them to get hot going into the playoffs. To be firing on all cylinders. Again, it’s baseball. Things can change fast.

My Panic Number is only at 2.5, and I feel much better than I did on the 28th. They’ve got a decent-sized lead with only a single-digit number of games left. Things aren’t great, but I would much rather be in our spot than I would in the spot that the Orioles are. Go Mariners!