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The Mariners have had one of the most intriguing and convoluted offseasons of any team in baseball so far. You take a look at all the changes that they've made, and the lineup looks more different than I can remember from one season to the next. Quickly, think about the starters that have left the lineup, and the replacements that they Mariners have added.
Mariners Out | Mariners In |
|---|---|
DH - Mike Ford | DH - Mitch Garver |
2B - Kolten Wong | 2B - Jorge Polanco |
3B - Eugenio Suarez | 3B - Luis Urias |
LF - Jarred Kelenic | LF - Luke Raley |
RF - Teoscar Hernandez | RF - Mitch Haniger |
That's five new players that are going to be in the Mariners lineup, likely on a daily basis as regulars. Yes, Josh Rojas took over for Wong at second, but since he isn't the starter this year, I think positing it this way makes sense. With all those moves and the latest trade for Jorge Polanco, what could the Mariners lineup look like on Opening Day?
SS - JP Crawford
2B - Jorge Polanco
CF - Julio Rodriguez
DH - Mitch Garver
C - Cal Raleigh
LF - Luke Raley
RF - Mitch Haniger
1B - Ty France
3B - Luis Urias
Adjust where you need to, but I think it could look something like this. Maybe you move Julio up to the 2 to give him more opportunities to run and cause havoc on the bases. That would make sense. I think with that top 5, you can provide a good amount of worry in any opposing pitcher that is going to take the mound against the Mariners.
We will dive deeper into it as the season goes on, but I do think that is a good looking lineup, and one that is better than what the team was putting out last year. It's deeper, more well-rounded, and plain seems like a better team than 2023.
Are we missing some true thump in there? Maybe. It's not like Geno, Kelenic, or Teo lived up to their previous production last year, even if they did amount for a good amount of the teams home runs. Are Urias, Raley, and Haniger better than those 3? Time will tell, but I think the construction of the lineup puts them in a better place. With the current pitching staff that the Mariners have, I think it's a good start to the 2024 season, and one that will put them in serious contention for the AL West Title.
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