The second AL West team I will be looking are the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners are coming off an alright season with a 3rd place finish in the AL West with a 27-33 record. I wouldn’t say it was disappointing season, as they had low expectations going into the season, but it also wasn’t a successful season as well as they weren’t able to make it into the playoffs yet again even with the expanded playoff format. But, truth be told, the Mariners are one of those teams that are ahead of the rebuilding timeline. The young guys that they have drafted and traded for have shown signs of being good and are not far from being a competitive team. The one negative thing that has happened to the Mariners, is the fact that there now ex-CEO made public statements that could potentially derail their plans and upset the young players. But moving on from that situation, the Mariners could very well be competitive and end their postseason drought. Let’s break it down.
Projected Starting Rotation
| 1 | Marco Gonzales |
| 2 | Justus Sheffield |
| 3 | Justin Dunn |
| 4 | Yusei Kikuchi |
| 5 | James Paxton |
The rotation has some bright spots and some question marks. The Mariners plan on having guys like Gonzales, Sheffield and Dunn as part of their future rotation that will take them into the playoffs. But the thing is only one has proven he is capable of being an integral part of that, Marco Gonzales. With Gonzales, the team knows what they are going to get from him. He is going to take the mound every 5th day, go at least 6 innings, not strike out a lot of hitter but will only give up 1-3 runs. That is a pitcher every team will be fine with having, but not as their ace. Sheffield is a guy that has been a top prospect for a long time, such a long time that it’s time for him to put up or shut up. He has to show that he belongs in the Majors, and he’s not just a AAAA player. Lastly, James Paxton is someone who the Mariners are taking a flyer on. He is coming off an injury plagued stint with the Yankees, and he is similar to Sheffield. Paxton was seen as a top prospect but injuries derailed him and he has only been able to put up 1-2 good years. He has to prove that he can be reliable.
Projected Line-Up
| 1 | SS J.P. Crawford | L |
| 2 | RF Mitch Haniger | R |
| 3 | CF Kyle Lewis | R |
| 4 | 3B Kyle Seager | L |
| 5 | DH Ty France | R |
| 6 | 1B Evan White | R |
| 7 | 2B Dylan Moore | R |
| 8 | LF Taylor Trammell | L |
| 9 | C Tom Murphy | R |
Right now their lineup doesn’t all that terrifying on paper. I say that because right now, they are in the middle of rebuilding and their prospects are the ones to keep an eye on. Their future look bright with guys like Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez on the rise and knocking on the door. I expect those two guys to be in the Major Leagues come September but for sure next year. As for right now and this season, the names I want to look at are Kyle Lewis and Evan White. Kyle Lewis is coming off a remarkable rookie season last year, as he won the AL Rookie of the Year. He is the first of the young outfield core that the Mariners plan to build their team around, and that is a great starting point. He showed last year that he has what it takes to lead the team and be a contributing factor. Evan White on the other hand, was the first of the Mariners’ core that they looked to bring up, by giving him a contract extension before he even played a game in the Majors. So they betted on him, and he has yet to prove he belongs. This could be the year that he shows that, as last year was the first year he didn’t have to look over his shoulder and worry about someone taking his spot. This year he has enough time to settle into the year and not rush things. Lewis and White will be the two key parts that will determine if the Mariners are in playoff contention come September.
2021 PECOTA AL West Projections
PECOTA sees Seattle finishing in 4th with 71 wins. I expect that to happen, given one condition. That is, if they don’t call up their top pitching prospect and their two top hitting prospects until September. If they call up 2/3 of them then I can see them competing for the division. I don’t see a team out of the AL West making one of the two wild card spots. There will only be one team to make the playoffs out of the AL West and that’s the team that wins the division. As I said for the Astros’ preview, this is the hardest division to predict. I expect Seattle to be competitive going into August, but ultimately they will finish in 4th.
