3 Mariners who need to redeem a terrible 1st half down the stretch

The Seattle Mariners ended up sending five players to this year's All-Star game, well-deserved accolades for a group that has kept the team's playoff hopes alive well into July.

However, not every name on the roster has found success through the first half of the year. If the team wants to make a deep postseason run, the following players are just some who will have to step up.

These Mariners players must redeem forgettable first halves

Honorable Mentions

Dylan Moore got off to a hot start, posting a .903 OPS in the first month of the season. Since then, however, his offensive output has been on a slow decline, posting a .682 OPS in May and a .220 OPS ever since as his slump warranted less playing time. However, he has still been worth 0.8 rWAR because his OPS+ for the season is at a relatively respectable 90. Furthermore, he has been a solid defensive presence at second base, accumulating five Defensive Runs Saved.

Mitch Garver's second season is already much better than his first in Seattle. He currently has a 100 OPS+ and is trending in the right direction. He posted a .886 OPS in June and seems to have made the necessary adjustments at the plate to be a viable designated hitter once more. He's also shouldered more defensive burden this year, already spending 40 more innings behind the dish than he did in 2024.

Collin Snider, RHP

Snider hardly comes with the same expectations as a higher profile reliever like Matt Brash or Andrés Muñoz, but he had a strong debut year with the Mariners in 2024, posting a 1.94 ERA over 42 games. His second season in Seattle has been less than ideal, pitching to a 5.47 ERA over 24 appearances before hitting the IL in June with a right forearm flexor strain. Now that he's had a few rehab outings with Triple-A Tacoma, his impending return to the roster will hopefully coincide with a return to form.

Ideally, he fixes the issues that have caused his whiff rate to drop to 21.7 percent and his strikeout rate to 20.2 percent. A few possible causes include the slightly flatter shape on his fastball and poorer command on his sweeper. If he does figure it out, it would make an already strong bullpen unit into one of the best in MLB. More depth and relief options would give the Mariners yet another pitching advantage and a healthy Collin Snider could be what takes them to that next level.

Donovan Solano, 1B

Despite being one of the cheapest free agent signings this past offseason, Solano has still under-performed his expectations. It's not all his fault, as the Mariners haven't invested in acquiring a prototypical first baseman since Ty France's departure. Still, an 86 OPS+ out of a team's primary first baseman leaves plenty to be desired. He did manage a 1.005 OPS over his 56 plate appearances in June so, like Garver, he could be moving in the right direction.

Aside from his broader struggles with plate discipline and making quality contact, he has been almost entirely ineffective against off-speed pitches. Of the 93 that he has seen, he is slugging just .160 with a whiff rate of 34.7 percent, giving opposing pitchers an easy vulnerability to exploit.

If he continues to be a lineup liability, first base could be one of the positions the team looks to upgrade at this year's trade deadline and he's already on a very team-friendly one-year deal. However, given that he's set to re-enter the free agent market this offseason, a strong second half should resuscitate his player stock which is currently on life support.

Bryce Miller, RHP

Miller has undoubtedly taken the biggest step back from his performance last year. After an outstanding sophomore campaign, he has struggled to be an effective starting pitcher in year three, posting a 5.73 ERA over his first ten starts before hitting the injured list twice due to right elbow inflammation. Other than an improved barrel rate, nearly all of his peripherals have regressed. Still, he has had moments of greatness this season that were reminiscent of his 2024.

Miller has been making steady progress in his rehab and also stated that improving command on his secondary pitches to be a main focus of his preparation. This is backed up by the numbers since his splitter, a pitch that was immensely effective in 2024, has a Run Value of -2 so far this year despite similar velocity and movement metrics.

In his stead, Logan Evans has performed admirably with a 3.81 ERA over 54.1 innings. But having Bryce Miller pitching at his full potential is hard to beat, especially when it comes to playoff baseball.

While the dog days of August are yet to roll around, the Mariners don't have much time to spare. There's room for improvement in every aspect of the roster and whether the organization chooses to improve by seeking external help or making internal improvements, every slight edge gives them another meaningful sliver of championship equity.