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2024 season: Eliminated on September 26, 2nd in the American League West Division.
Let’s take a look at the 2024 season for the Seattle Mariners, the questions the team must address this winter, and the initial outlook for 2025.
Read more: 2024 MLB offseason previews: What’s next for White Sox, A’s, Cubs and more?
Things that went well
The Mariners pitched as well as any team in baseball and head into the final days of the season as the MLB leader in ERA. Their rotation was notable, as Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, and Bryan Woo all had outstanding seasons, with an ERA under 3.70 and a WHIP under 1.20.
All five starters were especially dominant in their pitcher-friendly home park, and their success was backed by a strong K:BB ratio from each. The bullpen was not far behind either, led by Andrés Muñoz and Austin Voth.
Things that went wrong
No matter how well the pitching staff did, it couldn’t make up for a disappointing offense. Seattle ranks among the bottom 10 teams in runs scored and the Mariners struck out more than any other club.
Julio Rodríguez entered the 2024 season as one of baseball’s biggest superstars, but in September he was simply trying to be a league-average hitter. The 23-year-old saw no notable changes in his strikeout or walk rates, but his average exit velocity and barrel rate suffered significant drops. Changes in his hitting profile led to many fewer extra-base hits. Rodriguez also started the season slowly and shortly after turning things around in July, he suffered an ankle injury that led to a stint on the IL. A hot September couldn’t make up for an overall mediocre season.
JP Crawford also regressed dramatically after a career year in 2023. Ty France struggled to the point that he was placed on waivers in late July. Jorge Polanco was acquired in a trade in January after a successful career in Minnesota, but then endured the worst of his 11 seasons. mitch garver signed a two-year contract be the team’s designated hitter but couldn’t even hit .200.
Low season plans
The simple task for team president Jerry Dipoto and general manager Justin Hollander is to fix Seattle’s offense while leaving the pitching staff alone. All five members of Seattle’s outstanding rotation are under contract for at least three more seasons. Of course, injuries can wreak havoc on a pitching staff at any time, but it would take a real run of bad luck to make this rotation anything worse than great. The bullpen could use another high-leverage reliever after losing Ryne Stanek at the trade deadline, but the effectiveness of the starters prevents the relief corps from being overworked.
The Mariners’ batting order should undergo massive changes this winter, considering how the club has fared this season. The outfield has some stability, with Rodríguez in center and Randy Arozarena in left. Arozarena struggled offensively this year with both the Rays and the Mariners, but at his best, he is someone who can significantly impact a game in a variety of ways. Another former Tampa Bay player, Luke Raley, bounced back after struggling in April. He can start against righties, either in right field or as a designated hitter. The club will also have another year with Haniger, who has struggled since he went deep 39 times in 2021.
Powerful catcher Cal Raleigh will anchor an infield that is mostly shaky. Crawford has two years left on his contract five year contractmeaning he will have a chance to bounce back at shortstop. There are no obvious answers at first or second base, and the team could use an upgrade at the hot corner, as Josh Rojas is a solid defender but a disappointing hitter.
Perspectives on the horizon
Good things are happening in the Mariners’ farm system. The organization doesn’t have a top-10 prospect, but it does have a deep group of players who are projected to have productive MLB careers. And the best news is that all of Seattle’s top prospects are position players.
Colt Emerson and Cole Young, the team’s first-round picks in 2023 and 2022, respectively, could one day turn double plays for the Mariners. Young is two years older and further along in the farm system than Emerson, making him the best candidate to debut next season. With the Mariners’ needs across the infield, they could give Young, who has primarily played shortstop, a chance to be their second baseman sooner than expected.
Tyler Locklear played more than half of his 2024 minor league games at the Triple-A level and also had brief opportunities with the Mariners. Although he didn’t find immediate success in the majors, the 23-year-old is a candidate to start in 2025 in Seattle.
Harry Ford is another unique and exciting prospect. He has uncommon athleticism for a catcher, as he excels at getting on base and stealing bags. Ford could join the team sometime in 2025, sharing catching duties with Raleigh and working as a designated hitter. He also dabbled in the outfield this year.
Lázaro Montes is the last prospect worth mentioning. At just 19 years old, Montas likely has a couple of years left, but he has shown plenty of power and on-base skills in the minor leagues. He could roam the grounds of T-Mobile Park by 2026.
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Goals for 2025
The Mariners can’t keep wasting such a good pitching staff. The 2024 season was a big step back for a team that won at least 88 games in each of the previous three campaigns, and the blame for that decline clearly falls on the position players.
Dipoto and Hollander will be tasked this offseason with finding ways to add offense without taking depth away from the team’s rotation. If they can do that, Seattle will be well positioned to challenge an Astros organization that has won the American League West in seven of the last eight seasons.
2024 MLB Playoff Tracker: Follow as postseason picture comes into focus
fantasy approach
Rodriguez will be one of the toughest players for Fantasy managers to rank in the 2025 drafts. He has one of the highest ceilings of any player, but there is an inherent risk in spending a first or second round pick on someone coming up. from such a disappointing season. Still, Rodriguez will be the first Mariner selected in every fantasy draft.
Shortly after Rodriguez comes off the board, there will be a rush of headlines in Seattle. Gilbert, Kirby, Castillo, Miller and Woo will be selected in the early rounds of the draft. Meanwhile, Arozarena will be the poor man’s version of Rodríguez, someone who disappointed Fantasy managers in 2024 but could have a big impact in Fantasy in 2025. Muñoz will also have significant Fantasy value, despite posting a total of mediocre saves this year.
