After breaking the 21 year playoff drought expectations were high coming into 2023 for the Mariners. They made big moves to acquire key contributors like Luis Castillo and Eugenio Suarez that carried the pitching staff and offense. A young crop of Mariners prospects like Julio Rodriguez, George Kirby and Logan Gilbert helped push the Mariners into the playoffs where they made a lot of noise.
Coming into 2023, guys like Julio Rodriguez, Luis Castillo, George Kirby and recently acquired Teoscar Hernandez would be counted on to lead a hungry team eager to prove that it wasnt just a one year fluke and that this team will be a perrenial playoff and World Series contender. They would count on what seems like a strength every year, the bullpen, but would need some other guys to step up and make contributions. Let's look at who those guys were that stepped up and who surprised Mariners fans the most this year.