5 Bright Spots From the Mariners 2023 Season

Yes, the 2023 season didn't end how we wanted it to for the Seattle Mariners. However, there are still a handful of things to be happy about from this year. Let's dive in and take a look at 5 things that we can be happy about from this year's Mariners.

Mariners Bright Spot #1: The Pitching Staff

In his very first start of the season, Robbie Ray tore his flexor tendon and underwent Tommy John surgery, sidelining him for the entirety of the year. In early June, Marco Gonzales was placed on the IL with a forearm strain that later developed into full-blown nerve issues in his forearm, requiring season-ending surgery. At the trade deadline, the Mariners traded closer Paul Sewald to the Arizona Diamondbacks for two replacement-level players and an infield prospect.

Despite losing two of their most experienced starters and one of their best relievers, the young arms in the Mariners system stepped up in a big way, salvaging what might've been a disastrous season. Bryce Miller got off to an electric start, breaking MLB records for fewest baserunners allowed (eight) and lowest WHIP (0.42) in his first three outings totaling 15 innings or more. He eventually regressed but became a valuable innings eater at the back of the rotation, posting a 4.32 ERA and 1.14 WHIP over 131.1 innings.

Ranked as the #4 prospect at the beginning of the year by FanGraphs, Bryan Woo met expectations by pitching to a 4.21 ERA and 1.21 WHIP over 87.2 innings. He flashed some of his incredible potential by posting a 1.69 ERA and 0.88 WHIP over 16 innings in August and at just 23 years old, he's only going to get better.

Andrés Muñoz took over the closer role and didn't see too much regression despite the increase in pressure. His 1.93 ERA in August was good enough to earn him AL Reliever of the Month and despite a shaky finish to the year, proved his ability to get saves when needed.

Other bullpen names like Justin Topa and Matt Brash were also spectacular along with the big three starters - Luis Castillo, George Kirby, and Logan Gilbert. All in all, the Seattle Mariners had the third best ERA in MLB at 3.74, fourth best starter ERA at 3.89, and fourth best reliever ERA at 3.48. It's clear that the Mariners have some of the best arms in baseball, top to bottom.

Mariners Bright Spot #2: J.P. Crawford's Big Step Forward

J.P. Crawford has never been much more than a league-average shortstop until this year where his offseason work at Driveline paid huge dividends. Improving in almost every major offensive category, he slashed .266/.380/.438 for an OPS of .818 and an OPS+ of 131. He logged 35 doubles and 19 home runs, a new single-season best, over 534 at-bats. He also narrowly beat his single-season record for total bases, reaching the 234 mark. He also led the American League in walks, drawing an exceptional 94 free trips to first-base.

His combination of power, plate discipline, and ability to hit pitches of any type created 27 batting run value, good enough for 93rd percentile in the league. His 4.9 fWAR was third best among AL shortstops and fifth best amongst all shortstops. He was a consistent contributor all year, continuing his torrid hitting stretch well into the fateful final series against the Texas Rangers.

Sure, his defense hasn't improved much and he's still hovering at -4 DRS and -8 OAA, but the offensive breakout was a huge part of an otherwise weak lineup in Seattle. He's already announced his plan to return to Driveline in the offseason while bringing a pal, possibly igniting a much-needed hitting renaissance for this Mariners team.

Mariners Bright Spot #3: Jarred Kelenic Is Finding His Footing

It was incredibly difficult to watch Jarred Kelenic play in the Major Leagues in 2021 and 2022. Posting a pitiful slash line of .168/.251/.338 for an OPS of .589 over those two seasons, fans began to express legitimate concern over his development. Despite his perceived value as a prospect, would he ever be able to make the jump from AAA to the Show? In response, Kelenic finally gave us a glimpse of what was possible in 2023.

He got off to a scorching start, posting a .982 OPS over his first 101 plate appearances and hitting seven home runs in the same span, the first of which hit the scoreboard at Wrigley Field.

He cooled off as the season went on and had to deal with the infamous kicking-the-water-cooler injury but his cumulative slash of .253/.327/.419 put him slightly above league-average in terms of offensive production. Further improvements to his hitting could be another important factor in improving Seattle's output at the plate and allowing the team to reach the next level.

Mariners Bright Spot #4: Cal Raleigh is the Real Deal

Another important part of the young nucleus, Cal Raleigh has been known as a great hitter since hitting the walkoff home run to secure the Mariners' ticket to the postseason in 2022 and ending the longest drought in American sports history. He continued to be a productive hitter this year, posting an OPS of .762 and an OPS+ of 112, but he also began to round-out the entirety of his skillset as a catcher.

His pitch framing stayed strong, logging seven catcher framing runs saved in 2023, but he made drastic improvements to his ability to catch runners stealing base. In 2022, Raleigh had a CS Above Average figure of -1, placing him in the 42nd percentile. In 2023, it improved to five, placing him in the 87th percentile. He struggled with blocking pitches this year, falling all the way to -6 Blocks Above Average, in the 13th percentile, but that's a defensive characteristic to fix for next season.

Skilled catchers are hard to find, especially those that are successful at and behind the plate. Raleigh has the potential to be one of most complete catchers in baseball and just 26 years old, the sky is the limit for what he'll be able to accomplish in Seattle.