The Mariners need their stars to shine bright as September looms large

July and August have been a far cry from where the Seattle Mariners sat in late June. Back then, the Mariners finished up the month of June with a season record of 47-39. They had maintained a solid cushion in the division, holding a 3.5-game lead. From there, things changed drastically. A 10-14 month of July followed, and the team record in August hasn't been substantially better. Now more than three games back of the first-place Astros, the Mariners have dropped their playoff odds by more than 20% in the last 30 days. It would seem the Mariners are in need of serious soul-searching, but the outlook certainly isn't as negative as it seems.

Without question, the Mariners need to take a hard look in the mirror as we head into September. With the season's final month on the way, Seattle has five games to make up in the Wild Card race. That is if they can't catch the Astros in first place in the AL West. Although a five-game lead may seem almost insurmountable, it's perhaps not as difficult as it seems.

Despite falling down the standings, the rest of the puzzle is falling into place

The rest of the American League playoff picture is hardly a heavyweight fight right now. The Royals and Guardians have duked it out for the AL Central, with Kansas City taking the first three games of a four-game set this week. Assuming that Baltimore and the second-place team in the Central have the first three wild card slots locked down, it leaves a three-horse race for the final playoff spot. Among them are the Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, and these Mariners. Not a single one of those clubs is taking charge of the current playoff race.

The Twins have struggled to a 3-7 record in their last ten games. The Red Sox are 4-6 — one game worse than Seattle in that span. The Mariners' long look in the mirror needs to iron out the in-house issues plaguing the roster down the stretch. However, should it do so, there's perhaps no one better positioned to take charge in the American League playoff race. Seattle's 3.69 FIP entering Wednesday ranked second in the Major Leagues. The Red Sox rank 21st, although the Twins are substantially better than Boston at sixth overall.

Where the Mariners fall short lies where it has all season long — in the lineup. Seattle ranks 20th in wRC+ so far in 2024. Both Boston and Minnesota rank in the top ten. In August, the Mariners are even worse with a 93 wRC+. If this team is going to force their way back into the American League playoff picture, it'll take more offensive production to better supplement the outstanding pitching that's carried the team much of the season.

The clear need is more run support, so who should the Mariners turn to?

The Mariners need more from their stars in September. More specifically, the stars in the lineup. Since July 1, the offense has hit a wall. Entering Wednesday, the Mariners had scored 191 runs since the start of July. That mark was good for 26th in baseball, ahead of only the Angels, Rays, and White Sox. Since the calendar turned to August, that mark has been only marginally better, ranking 24th in MLB. The lineup needs to catch fire as we head into September if this team wants any shot at claiming a very "up-for-grabs" playoff spot.

In August, outfielder Julio Rodriguez has slashed just .167/.250/.222. His power is all but absent, evidenced by a miserable .056 ISO. Randy Arozarena has slugged just .303 in August. (Even though both players had homers in the Rays finale). The only real notable contributor to the lineup in August has been Luke Raley. Raley has been good for a 195 wRC+ entering Wednesday.

The return of J.P. Crawford could signify a change, but even Crawford had put together a disappointing season before hitting the injured list. Unfortunately for the Mariners, there seems to be little they can do to kickstart the offense outside of getting their stars on track. That's exactly what happened on Wednesday against the Rays.

The Mariners scored six runs Wednesday en route to a series win over Tampa Bay. It marked the 15th time this month that Seattle held their opponent to four runs or fewer. Entering Wednesday's contest, the team's record was 8-6 in those contests. To make a run for a playoff spot, the Mariners will simply have to win more of those contests when the pitching staff shows up. Wednesday was a move in the right direction. Not only did the Mariners score six runs, they did so behind many of their stars who have struggled in August. Julio Rodriguez, Randy Arozarena, and Victor Robles each homered, combining for five of the team's six RBI on the day.

It was Julio's first home run since July 20. Arozarena had two home runs in the series against the Rays. His first of the series was his first home run since July 29. Entering September, this is exactly what the Mariners need if they're going to truly make a push for the final playoff spot in the American League. With J.P. Crawford now back, and Robles hopefully re-discovering his groove, the Seattle lineup has a chance to be much deeper than it was for most of August.

Cal Raleigh had the day off Wednesday but will need to factor in as a true run producer for the offense as well. He's done so already for much of the season, leading the team with 80 RBI in 2024. More days like Wednesday will lead the Mariners to the playoffs once again in 2024. It's time for the stars to shine and carry this lineup to the postseason where the pitching staff can make anything happen.