SeaSide Thoughts: Can the Mariners turn the tide?

It hasn’t been the magical season that the Seattle Mariners and their fans had hoped for before the 2023 season began. An AL West championship, a deeper run in October, maybe even a World Series appearance felt like it was on the table. Fast forward to the middle of June and most of those dreams are on life alert. Seattle finds itself at 32-33, 9 games back in the AL West and 4.5 games back of Houston for the final wild card spot. How did we get to this position?

Unfortunately the Mariners have had multiple causes for a disappointing start. At the beginning of the season, the Mariners were extremely unlucky, ranking  in the bottom of the league in record in extra innings or one run games, a shocking flip from the past two seasons. While the pitching was fantastic in the first 40 games, the offense was horrendous. While Seattle carried arguably the best rotation in the American League, its offense wreaked disappointment and ineptitude. It became clear that two of the biggest weaknesses were the holes that were not properly filled during the offseason: second base and DH. When the offense began to show small signs of life, the pitching staff showed us they were mortal, getting smacked around by the best teams in the AL, no longer able to cover for a struggling offense. 

When you aren’t playing at your very best, it’s important to cut down on mistakes and mental errors. The focus that championship teams show was apparently not there for a team that appeared to be more focused on what people said they could do in the spring, rather than going out and proving it. As the media plays with this storyline, it appears Scott Servais has had enough of the mistake as well. I’d expect the team to be locked in for the next couple of games, and depending how things go, they could be fully locked for a summer run or tune out as they continue to fade. 

With it becoming more and more clear around the team that they need to flip the switch, what can Seattle do to salvage their season?