When it's all said and done, are the Mariners better as they head into 2024 season?

Have the Mariners improved enough from ‘23 to ‘24? Have they improved at all? Will the offense look anemic at times without the likes of Eugenio Suarez and Teoscar Hernandez? Will Polanco, Garver, and Raley stabilize the lineup? Let’s dive in!

Scott Servais, Jerry Dipoto — Cleveland Guardians v Seattle Mariners | Steph Chambers/GettyImages

A great change-up is almost imperceptible

Like Jamie Moyer clenching up his toes inside his cleats, some changes are harder to see than others, but no less effective. It may seem as though the Mariners have simply attempted to replace in the aggregate what they have lost from last year's squad. Geno, Teo and “The Man from Waukesha” were all great power hitters who drove in a ton of runs last year, 238 to be exact.

What’s just as important is what isn’t replicated in the numbers of the folks doing the replacing. These three players accounted for 557 strikeouts last year. For reference, Ichiro struck out 792 times across his 11+ seasons as a Mariner.

The aggregate of replacements this year (Garver, Raley, Haniger & Polanco) totaled 363 strikeouts last year. Raley was the worst offender with 128, but his platooning this year should limit exposure to tough lefties anyway and I’d bet that total shrinks for him in ‘24. A conscious effort has been made to eliminate excessive strikeouts from this lineup as it was put back together after the key departures.

A great change-up is almost imperceptible

Schedule