Not for nothing, since opening the season 8-15 and seemingly on their way to another terrible season, the Seattle Mariners have gone 21-12 and are somehow just 1-1/2 games out of first place.
Explaining The Surprising Seattle Mariners
Friday, MLB.com’s Greg Johns took the Mariners’ measure and came up with three reasons for their surprising success. My take on Greg’s take ...
1. The rotation, led of course by Felix Hernandez and Michael Pineda, has been healthy.
According to Johns, Seattle is the only club in the majors that's used only five starters this season. And the Mariner starters have been not just healthy, but good. You know about the Big Guys. But did you know Doug Fister has pitched almost as well as Hernandez? Or that Erik Bedard's comeback trail, after a rough April, took a lovely turn in May? Or that No. 3 starter Jason Vargas, though bringing up the rear with a 4.50 ERA, would make one hell of a No. 5 starter with a lot of teams?
2. The bullpen’s been solid, too.
All the more interesting because it really wasn’t supposed to be.
Granted, the bullpen hasn't been great. But after last season's 4.23 ERA, this season's 3.51 must feel pretty good, especially considering the season-long absence of erstwhile closer David Aardsma. Seattle's relief corps isn't a huge factor in the club's success, but it's definitely helped.
3. The “Wedge Edge”
Hey, it’s not my term.
According to Johns, “An increasing toughness and strength throughout the roster under the scrutiny of new manager Eric Wedge, whose no-nonsense approach and demand for accountability has created the “Wedge Edge” on a team that meandered through 100-loss seasons in two of the past three years.”
Obviously, we can’t quantify any of that. Or I can’t, anyway. Which doesn’t mean I’ll argue that Wedge, in all his Ron Swansonish glory, hasn’t made a difference this season. I guess I’d just be a little more impressed if the Mariners were hitting better, or out-performing their run differential by more than two wins.
The Mariners’ starters have been healthy, and own the second-best ERA (3.27) in the American League. They’re 13-10 in one-run games, with those 13 wins topping the league.
The Mariners might actually be this good. They’re probably not. I had them at 75 wins before the season, and a lot of people thought I was crazy. It’s not a massive leap from 75 to (say) 81 or 82 wins. The problem is that it seems highly unlikely that they’re better than that. The hitters might get a little better, but the pitchers are likely to get a little worse (or a little unhealthier, anyway).
It’s been a good season, though. It’s a shame the fans in Seattle haven’t shown their appreciation yet.
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