Mariners vs Rockies: A series win would get the Mariners back to 500 on the season

The Mariners head into Colorado after not only earning their first series win of the season, but earning a sweep of the Reds to get them within one game of .500. It's been a week start to the season for the AL West, as the Mariners are just 1.5 games back of the Rangers. With a trip to Colorado in advance of a series with the Rangers, the Mariners are in prime position to get back to .500.

Is it just what the doctor ordered? The Rockies are one of the worst teams in baseball, at least by record. They enter the series at 4-15, tied for the second worst record in all of baseball. What stands out is the pitching, as they have allowed an MLB-leading 117 runs. They can still score, with ten more runs across the plate than the Mariners, but part of that comes from teams stepping off the gas pedal late in games.

The Mariners got right in 2023 when the Rockies came into Seattle and got swept by the M's. Could the Mariners do it again at Coors? Well, what can we expect to see in this weekend's series? Let's get to it and look at the pitching matchups, some hitters to watch, and final thoughts before the Mariners start their Coors Field series.

Mariners vs Rockies: Hitters to Watch

Starting off a bit different here, by looking at the speed that the Rockies have on the bases... or the lack thereof. They only have 6 steals this season, which is tied for the 3rd-fewest of the season. That doesn't always tell the whole story, as the Mariners only have 8 right now, but with Clase, Rojas, Julio, and Moore, they could easily see that number make a leap at any point.

They've still got guys who can swing the bats though, and so far in 2024, the title of best hitter for the team belongs to Ryan McMahon. He's hitting .361/.434/.514 so far this season, and probably is the best player on the Rockies. He's not the only one doing damage though, as both Ezequiel Tovar and Brenton Doyle are SLG .486 this season, while combining for 9 doubles and 6 homers on the season.

Like the Mariners, they do have some players who are struggling, but there is one that I want to focus on. You wouldn't think that you would have to worry about a player who has only five hits on the season and is batting .122. However, when four of those hits are home runs, it's the reason you need to be wary of Michael Toglia whenever he comes up to the plate.

Mariners vs Rockies: Final Thoughts

It really seems like we are on the cusp of being able to look back on this team and think "this is the time when they turned things around". Beating the Rockies is expected, and I don't feel bad saying that. The Mariners are the better team in nearly every aspect of the game, and are the better team overal. That's the thing about baseball. Not many people would have realistically expected the Mariners to sweep the Reds.

Wierd things happen in baseball, and you can't look ahead. That's the worry that I have about this series for the Mariners. They know that they head to Texas to play the Rangers after this series. Is there a chance that they may not be as focused as they should be? I think so. At the same time, knowing that they've regained that spark after Jonatan Clase was called up and are now playing their best ball of the season, they could roll into Colorado and crush them.

I don't see a sweep happening, but I fully believe the Mariners are going to leave Colorado a .500 team. The offense is starting to pick it up, and playing a team who doesn't strike many hitters out while at the same time putting a lot of runners on base? That sounds like the perfect matchup for the Mariners. A 2-1 series win, 23 runs scored, and leaving town as a .500 team. Let's make it happen. Go Mariners!