Dan Wilson has no idea how to optimize the Mariners' talent-rich lineup

With an offense as rich with options as that of the Seattle Mariners, it is hard to believe Dan Wilson has not found a better way to build the lineup for success.

Since the trade deadline, the Mariners have been rolling with Randy Arozarena leading off, followed by Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez in the second and third holes. Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez have switched between cleanup and fifth, and whoever is DH (Jorge Polanco or Mitch Garver) bats sixth. Dominic Canzone has found a home in the seven hole, J.P. Crawford hits eighth, and Cole Young rounds it out in the nine hole.

Despite the additions of Suárez and Naylor, the lineup has not shown any notable improvement. Before the deadline, the team was scoring 4.5 runs per game, and had a combined OPS of .730 Since the deadline, they have a .726 OPS and are scoring 4.7 runs per game.

Arozarena has not thrived since he moved to leadoff, and both Suárez and Naylor have struggled since being traded to Seattle. Raleigh, now in the two-hole, has also seen his numbers take a significant dip since moving up in the lineup.

The Mariners need a new go-to starting lineup

So what should the lineup look like?

For starters, Raleigh should be hitting third. From June 9th to July 30th, Raleigh hit third in every game, and thrived in that spot. He hit 15 home runs over that 43-game stretch, and had an .883 OPS. Since moving to second in the lineup, he has hit 10 home runs and has a .772 OPS.

Behind Cal in the cleanup role should be Suárez. His 105 RBIs are fourth in the MLB, and he has consistently shown a clutch gene throughout his career. Throwing Suárez in the cleanup role gives him the most opportunities to drive in runs and make an impact.

With Raleigh and Suárez hitting third and fourth, who should hit above them in the lineup? It might not be who you think.

The Mariners need to have runners on base for Raleigh and Suárez. With that in mind, Dominic Canzone and J.P. Crawford should be moved up the order. Canzone's .283 batting average is the highest on the team among regular starters, and his .347 OBP ranks third. Crawford's .353 OBP is the best among Mariners regulars.

My suggestion would be to utilize Crawford in the two-hole, and have whoever is playing right field bat leadoff. Victor Robles thrived at leadoff in 2024, and a Robles/Canzone leadoff platoon might make a lot of sense.

Where does that leave Julio Rodríguez? The Mariners' center fielder has thrived before in the five-hole, and would hit behind Suárez in this lineup. He'd be followed by Polanco, who would continue to bat sixth, where he has had success all year.

The bottom third of the lineup would contain the three hitters in the biggest slumps right now. Naylor should hit seventh. He has a .521 OPS over his past 20 games, and needs to move multiple spots down the lineup.

Young has been even worse lately with a .325 OPS in the past 14 games. He'll slide up to eighth in my suggested lineup, leaving the nine-spot open for none other than Randy Arozarena.

Similar to Crawford, a move from first to ninth could help Arozarena break out of his own slump. Since moving to leadoff, he has a .649 OPS and a .206 batting average.

Moving Arozarena to ninth would take the pressure off him, while also giving the Mariners a second-leadoff hitter of sorts. It also gives the Mariners good speed at the end of the lineup, with Arozarena's 25 stolen bases this season.

To recap, my suggested lineup would look like this:

Dominic Canzone/Victor Robles - RF
J.P. Crawford - SS
Cal Raleigh - C
Eugenio Suárez - 3B
Julio Rodríguez - CF
Jorge Polanco - DH
Josh Naylor - 1B
Cole Young - 2B
Randy Arozarena - LF

Would this lineup be better than the Mariners current lineup? It's impossible to know without trying, but at this point, mixing things up might not be a bad idea.

The Mariners need a new go-to starting lineup

Schedule