3 surprising players who are off to strong starts for the Mariners

There's plenty of good vibes right now for fans in Seattle after the Mariners won their first road series of 2025 thanks to an enthralling, excruciating, back-and-forth, almost surreal 11-7 win on Thursday in Cincinnati. The team is rolling in general, winning seven of their past nine games after beginning the year 3-7.

Don't mistake this for thinking there aren't still a multitude of questions and concerns, but at least the Mariners seem to be headed in the right direction, climbing above .500 for the first time since they won on opening day. Here's a look at three players who have helped the team achieve this, with strong but also surprising starts to the 2025 campaign.

These 3 Mariners are off to surprisingly strong starts in 2025

No. 1: Gabe Speier

There were plenty of questions surrounding the bullpen entering this season, with Andrés Muñoz being the one almost guaranteed exception. And while Muñoz has indeed excelled, the bullpen as a whole has struggled. It has the fifth-worst opposing team batting average and is tied for eighth for the highest WHIP in the Majors.

The bullpen has at times caused unnecessary anxiety for the team, with the latest example coming from the aforementioned 11-7 extra innings win in the rubber match versus the Reds. However, the one positive constant throughout it all aside from Muñoz has been Gabe Speier.

To say Speier is off to a tremendous start in 2025 would be a major understatement. Through 8.0 combined innings over nine appearances, he has allowed just two hits, one walk and zero runs, leading to another-worldly stat line which includes a 0.00 ERA, 1.12 FIP and 0.625 WHIP.

Previously perceived as a potential starter, the 30-year-old was coming off a 2024 campaign with a worrying 5.70 ERA, 1.394 WHIP and career-worst -0.5 WAR in 29 appearances. Now he has become one of the few reliable options out of the bullpen for the Mariners, with four holds and what would be a career-high 32.1 percent strikeout rate over the course of a season.

Speier has continued to have a good balance of three pitches, including a four-seamer fastball, sinker, and slider, with opponents struggling to work him out thus far. The Mariners will need him to continue pitching well, with Matt Brash still yet to return and while waiting to see if any other members of the bullpen can step up their game.

No. 2: Dylan Moore

People were well aware that Dylan Moore could provide defensive excellence and versatility, especially after winning his first ever Gold Glove last season as a utility player. There was much less confidence in his hitting however, as he entered 2025 with a career .206 batting average and .701 OPS through six Major League seasons.

As expected, Moore has continued to serve as the ultimate reliable team player, seeing time at all infield positions except shortstop, as well as one start in right field. However, where he has really dazzled and surprised has been at the plate, now making it even harder to leave him out of the lineup.

Following the series in Cincinnati, the 32-year-old ranks second on the team with a .333 batting average, while also leading the way with a 1.010 OPS and 205 OPS+. He tied career highs in the series opener against the Reds with two home runs — including his first ever leadoff homer — and four RBI.

Moore has been tremendous on the road for the Mariners, with a .440 batting average and 1.280 OPS through six games. In fact, it may surprise some people to know that since the beginning of the 2022 season he ranks eighth in the Majors with a .888 OPS away from home (minimum 300 plate appearances).

It remains to be seen if the 2015 seventh round draft pick can sustain his offensive success long-term this season, combined with aiming to improve at home specifically. (Although to be fair, the latter is not a challenge to him exclusively.) For now, though, the Mariners and their fans should just enjoy watching a player who works harder than most to get all he can out of his talent.

No. 3: Jorge Polanco

Arguably best summing up the frustration among fans about the lack of ambition during the offseason to upgrade the infield, was Jorge Polanco. After declining his $12 million option for the 2025 season, the Mariners decided to bring the 31-year-old back on a lesser $7.75 million deal, with added incentives.

This exasperated a lot of people due to Polanco coming off the worst offensive season of his 11 years in the Majors, highlighted (or should that be lowlighted?) by a .213 batting average and .651 OPS. However, Jerry Dipoto has been made to look like a savant, with the 2019 All-Star so far being one of the best bats in the Majors, never mind just for the Mariners.

The Mariners camp insisted a significant part of the reason for Polanco's struggles last season was because of lingering knee issues, which were hopefully now resolved following surgery. And it's tough to disagree with this assessment, given how he has hit through the team's first 19 games of the season.

The Dominican Republic native has been ridiculously effective, as per a .378 batting average and a 1.005 OPS which — for what it's worth at this juncture — would both be career-highs if sustained. Moreover, one of the best indicators of just how clutch he's been is that he leads the Majors with a 1.6 WPA (Win Probability Added).

There is still some trepidation about Polanco long-term this season, with knee soreness resulting in the Mariners resting him for certain games. However, he has the makings of being one of the ultimate feel-good stories this season; heck, he's even looked excellent at T-Mobile Park with two home runs and eight RBI contributing towards a .865 OPS in eight games.

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