The secret weapon pushing the Mariners offense toward history

The Seattle Mariners might not be dominating the American League standings, but they’ve quietly crafted one of the more intriguing starts in baseball. Hovering above .500 despite a rash of injuries, this team is rewriting the narrative — not with brute force or a bunch of star power, but with hustle, grit, and a dash of chaos on the basepaths.

That they’ve done it without two key spark plugs — Victor Robles and Ryan Bliss — and still haven’t seen George Kirby take the mound due to injury, is nothing short of remarkable. And yet, here they are, hanging tough in the AL West, playing winning baseball with a roster that’s adapted rather than reacting with panic.

Behind the Mariners’ resilience is not just the long ball, though they’ve leaned on it plenty. And it’s not all riding on Cal Raleigh’s shoulders, even though the slugging catcher is off to a blistering hot start. A huge piece to the M’s newfound aggression — especially on the basepaths, setting the tone for the team’s identity in 2025 — is found in their first base coach Eric Young Jr.

The Mariners have stolen 32 bases through their first 22 games — already a franchise record to start a season. As of April 22, it places them second in the majors, trailing only the Milwaukee Brewers (34).

This isn’t just a trend. It’s an organizational shift, and at the heart of it is Seattle's first base coach.

 Eric Young Jr.'s influence has the Mariners running wild on the basepaths and into the record books

A 10-year MLB veteran who stole 162 bags during his playing days, Young brings a modern, analytical approach to an old-school tactic. Brought in to be the Mariners' bench as part of Dan Wilson’s reshaped staff, Young has become a catalyst for Seattle’s aggression. He’s not just preaching speed — he’s teaching nuance, pitcher tells, timing, pop times, and mental cues.

Players are clearly soaking it up. Mitch Garver, not exactly known for wheels, swiped his first bag since May 2022 back on April 8. Raleigh, who stole six bases all of last year, already has three. And as a whole, the team has combined power with pressure. This is the only Mariners team in their history to hit 30-plus home runs and steal 30-plus bases in the first 22 games of a season.

Tim Booth of The Seattle Times recently caught up with several Mariners, including utility man Dylan Moore, who praised Young’s eye for detail.

“He’s very receptive to what we want. He has good insight into pitchers, moves, pop times, what to look for,” Moore said. “He was a good base stealer in his day as well so that helps. Just trying to soak in as much knowledge as I can.”

Young’s own playing career as a base stealer lends credibility to the instruction and encourages players to take chances. The results speak for themselves — Seattle is not just stealing bases, they’re stealing wins. With a lineup that still struggles to manufacture line-drive contact consistently, the team has found other ways to pressure defenses and create scoring opportunities. Between the home runs and the hustle, the Mariners are manufacturing a modern formula for chaos — and it’s working.

The most stolen bases in a single season in Mariners history is 174, a mark reached in both 1987 and 2001. Those seasons were fueled by players like Harold Reynolds (60 SB in '87) and Ichiro Suzuki (56 SB in '01), both of whom helped shape the identity of their respective teams.

This 2025 group is on pace to shatter that record. At their current rate of nearly 1.5 steals per game, the Mariners would finish the season well north of 200 stolen bases. And they’re doing it without a prototypical 50-steal guy. It's a team-wide commitment, and that’s a credit to Young's influence.

The Mariners may not be the loudest team in baseball, but they’re making plenty of noise. They’ve leaned into an identity built on pressure and unpredictability. If they keep this up, the conversation won’t be about whether they can sneak into the postseason, but about how far they can go.