This is the most anticipated Mariners season in 20 years

Coming off the hot 2022 season where the baseball world got to see the Mariners end their playoff drought and make it to the ALDS, expectations sure are high. There are plenty of reasons to be excited for this team, with the return of the entire starting rotation, Julio's second year in the big leagues, and Kelenic's potential for a breakout year, just to name a few.

I truly believe this offseason was a success. Teoscar is a great addition in an outfield full of potential. Kolten Wong really rounds out the infield, and our bench remains deep. Aside from the on-paper improvements I see, this team just seems so alive and geared up for this new season. We all already knew they have great attitudes and a good outlook on the ending of last year. Now all the players get to come back and put together everything they've learned.

The Mariners are poised for a big season, and the anticipation is palpable

Stars like Julio, George Kirby, and Cal Raleigh are still so young and have so much potential, so there are many reasons for us all to be very excited about their potential for this new season upon us. The players seem like they enjoy playing in Seattle, and that leads me to believe that the culture they have built is a good one. I trust that whatever training or improvements they did in the offseason are going to pay off big time this year.

While the M's may have not made a huge splashy free agent signing this offseason, I don't see that as an issue at the beginning of this season. I think we can trust the players currently on the team to have meshed even more during the offseason and to improve themselves as players.

This franchise is truly great. Maybe not in the way that most people think of the word "great", but I believe the Seattle Mariners are great. There is such a great history with legendary players we have all come to love. While this is true, there's no denying that the past 20 years have been painful at best. So many years of missed opportunities and losing seasons.

I think it's time to think optimistically. There's so much negativity in this world and in baseball discourse. We have a team in Seattle brimming with young talent (and profits if the ownership group will spend them) that just made it to the ALDS last year after 20 years far away from the playoffs. The baseball season is a long one, and we know that truly anything can happen in a season.

Even amongst the frustrating losses early in the season and questions that are raised, there is still so much to be excited about, if we choose to look for it. So it's time to be happy because Mariners baseball is back.