3 Reasons why 2023 will be better for the Mariners than 2022

Sitting here in the 2023 offseason, it's easy to get discouraged and upset at the apparent lack of moves that the Mariners have made. Most fans wanted them to go out and sign a big bat, or at least a starting lineup caliber bat, to help fill holes on the offense.

They've still made additions and looking at where this team is now as compared to a year ago shows how far they've come. Remember, Suarez didn't get here until March 2022. I know it's not quite the best way to look at it, but they've still added Suarez, Castillo, Wong, and Hernandez over the last 12 months.

The reason I bring this up is that I've been thinking of why 2023 is going to be better than 2022. There are a handful of reasons, and although I know more could've been done, I still think that the Mariners are in a pretty good place heading into the upcoming season.

So, why should we be happy heading into 2023? Let's take a look at three reasons all Mariners fans should be optimistic heading into the upcoming season.

Reason #1: The drought is over

For the first time in 20+ years, we don't have to sit here and fret about the playoffs. The Mariners have broken the streak of missing the playoffs, and it's one less thing that the Mariners have to worry about. Sure, there are new worries that pop up, but this was a massive proverbial monkey on the back, and it's gone.

No more hearing about "Back in 2001". No more listening to stats related to last Mariners pitcher to have a playoff win, or last one to hit a homer, last one to score... none of that. Well, at least when we hear them now, you get names like Luis Castillo, George Kirby, and Julio Rodriguez thrown out there instead of guys who have been out of the game for 15+ years.

It's hard to explain how nice it is going to be to not have to worry about breaking the streak. Big Dumper Drought Buster saved the day, and now we get to worry about starting a playoff streak instead of making it there for the first time in decades. I think it is going to take a lot of weight and worry of the players, especially during any rough stretches of the season, or in September when Magic Numbers and playoff odds start popping up.

The Mariners are a playoff contender, and I love it.

Reason #3: Full season with the pitching staff

Heading into 2022, the Mariners had added Robbie Ray to the staff. Personally, I was super excited for that as I've always been a big fan of his. While he didn't do as well as some hoped, he still had a solid year. Logan Gilbert was coming off his rookie season, and we were expecting George Kirby to come in at some point. We still had Flexen and Marco as starters, and the memory of 2021 bullpen starts were fresh and scary in our memories.

Post 2022, we just had one of the healthiest seasons possible. Chances are that won't happen, but we now have multiple guys who can fill out the back end of the rotation, with six solid options to pitch.

This rotation looks scary as it is, regardless of who throws in that fifth spot. It doesn't matter to me if its Chris Flexen or Marco Gonzales, but I think they would both be great options for that spot. That is, if they are both still here.

Luis Castillo, Robbie Ray, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby. That's nasty. We have Robbie Ray with less pressure to lead the rotation, Gilbert with a full season under his belt, and Kirby with the rookie season out of the way. It's a great setup, and one of the best top fours in baseball.

2023 is definitely looking up, and between the lineup, the staff, and the drought being broken, it should be a great year to be a Mariners fan!