4 reasons the Mariners are thriving, and 4 things holding them back

4 things holding them back

Worst team with RISP

If there’s one stat that tells the story of Seattle’s early-season frustrations, it’s this: a .191 batting average with runners in scoring position. That’s not just bad — it’s second-worst in Major League Baseball ahead of only the Chicago White Sox.

It’s not because they’re not getting chances. Thanks to all those walks and stolen bases, they’re putting guys on base. But when it comes time to deliver the big hit, they just can’t seem to do it. Whether it’s pressing at the plate, bad luck, or simply poor execution, the inability to cash in is killing them. Games that should be comfortable wins are turning into nerve-wracking nail-biters — or outright losses.

It’s a morale killer, too. There’s nothing more deflating than loading the bases with one out and coming away empty. This team doesn’t need to lead the league in batting with RISP, but if they could just be average, they’d probably have several more wins already.

Pitching staff has been mediocre

For a team that has prided itself on elite pitching the past few seasons, a 3.96 ERA is underwhelming. It puts the Mariners right in the middle of the league at 15th overall. That’s not a disaster, but it’s not what fans expected from a rotation that includes Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo.

Part of the issue has been inconsistency. Some nights, they look like aces, other nights they’re getting hit hard early. The bullpen hasn’t exactly been lights out either, with some games slipping away late.

When the pitching falters and the offense isn’t converting with runners on, it creates a perfect storm of disappointment. The Mariners don’t have the kind of lineup that can routinely win shootouts, so their pitchers need to be better than average. Right now, they’re not quite there.

Uncharacteristically bad defense

Defense used to be a hallmark of Mariners baseball, but so far this season, it’s been a major problem. The gloves have gone cold, resulting in errors, missed double plays, and poor positioning. Whether it’s routine grounders turning into infield hits or outfielders misplaying balls in the gap, the defensive breakdowns are costing this team runs and momentum.

When your pitching staff leads the league in ground ball rate, strong infield defense is critical. But Seattle’s infield hasn’t held up its end of the bargain. It’s not just about fielding percentage either — defensive metrics like Outs Above Average show the Mariners are giving up more outs than they should be, and in close games, those extra outs make all the difference. Until they clean it up with the gloves, they’ll keep making things harder than they need to be.

The bullpen has been overworked and can't strike anyone out

In today’s game, a shutdown bullpen needs one key ingredient: strikeouts. Unfortunately, the Mariners’ relievers haven’t gotten the memo. Their bullpen owns the worst strikeout rate in the league at just 7.10 K/9.

This is a serious problem. Strikeouts are the cleanest, safest way to get outs, especially in high-leverage situations. When the ball is constantly in play, weird things happen — bloops fall in, grounders find holes, errors become more costly. Without swing-and-miss stuff, the Mariners’ bullpen is living on the edge every single night.

They’ve had to rely on weak contact and good positioning, which isn’t always sustainable, especially when the defense behind them isn’t reliable. There’s talent in the pen, no doubt, but unless they start missing more bats, late-inning leads are going to continue to feel very shaky.