Three most underrated players in Mariners' quest for playoffs

The Mariners are getting a ton of love in national media circles lately, and rightfully so. MLB Network has analyzed the team's pitching, superstar Julio Rodriguez's hot streak, and the team's outlook with the help of a Magic 8-ball. Remember those? We don't need a shakable niche toy to determine which underrated players could help propel the Mariners to another playoff appearance. Here are three key role players who could prove instrumental over the next five weeks of baseball. 

The Irritant: Jose Caballero

We've written about the 26-year-old infielder extensively this season. From his penchant for swiping bags, professional at-bats against tough lefties, and his ability to spell Eugenio Suarez, J.P. Crawford, and Josh Rojas. Caballero made Mariners' history yesterday, joining a short list of rookies to steal over 20 bags in a season. Others on that list include Julio Rodriguez, James Jones, and the incomparable Ichiro Suzuki. 

Those stats don't jump off the page, especially the slashline (.240/.371/.340), but he gets on base via the walk (28) and beanballs (16). Additionally, he's heating up again, which bodes well for the bottom of the Mariners' lineup. Over the past month, Caballero is hitting .286 and getting on base at a .381 clip. He's up to 2.3 bWAR, trailing only Rodriguez, Crawford, George Kirby, and Luis Castillo. 

The best thing about Caballero is his ability to get under an opponent's skin. He's annoyed the Yankees' Gerrit Cole, Astros' Martin Maldonado and Framber Valdez, and ex-MLB manager Joe Maddon, and I'm here for it. 

Great teams have these types of players on the roster. The Astros leveraged Jose Altuve's skillset as an on-base threat and an irritant to a sustained run through the American League West. Look deeper into history, and you target guys like Ricky Henderson, Willie McGee, and Mookie Wilson. Speed threats who could work an at-bat and get on base to spark a rally. 

The Innings Eater: Luke Weaver

The Mariners lost Robbie Ray, Marco Gonzales, Easton McGee, and now Emerson Hancock to season-ending surgeries. Yet, they still have a top pitching staff, including two rookies on innings limits (Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo). Let that sink in; they developed 4/5 of a starting rotation internally. That doesn't happen nowadays. 

With the team managing Woo's innings down the stretch and Miller's workload, they needed an innings eater in the bullpen. Someone who could piggyback with Woo or throw multiple innings to save the bullpen. That arm is the recently claimed Luke Weaver. 

The stats, specifically earned run average, are horrendous (above 6.00 ERA). Still, the Mariners have a penchant for 'fixing' these types of guys by pitch shaping or helping them identify what works for them in what quadrant of the zone. By the looks of it, pitching coach Pete Woodworth probably told Weaver to throw his cutter more, which he obliged, throwing 38% of the time. 

Weaver also flashed a solid four-seamer with an above-average spin (2436 RPM) and a wipeout changeup. Yesterday, his first outing with the team included a 56% whiff rate on 26 pitches. If the veteran starter can continue to spell the pen and cover innings for Miller and Woo down the stretch, we are looking at a real weapon in the series leading up to the Texas Two-Step (10 games against Astros and Rangers) in late September. 

Honorable mentions include Justin Topa, Tom Murphy, a healthy Jarred Kelenic, and Sam Haggerty, the first likely September 1st call-up. Looking for an underrated player to root for down the stretch? Lock in on one these guys and enjoy the ride because September in Seattle is must-watch television.