Seattle Mariners Are No. 22 In The Latest Power Rankings

The fact that the Seattle Mariners are ranked 22nd is a little disappointing, so I thought I’d give you guys some positive sentiment with Nelson Cruz‘s home run face in the feature photo. Seriously, I think I might make that the screensaver on my phone.

But back to the issue at hand, here is the excerpt from the FanSided article.

"22) For a team struggling to get consistency out of its rotation, the Mariners badly needed some good news. Unfortunately, they received quite the opposite. Hisashi Iwakuma has been shut down from all baseball activity for the next 10 days to two weeks with upper back pain. That means the Mariners will be without their number two starter into June at the least. They badly need Taijuan Walker to step up."

I would have to say I disagree with this ranking. Here’s why.

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First, and most superficially, the M’s are ranked lower than three teams with worse records. The Miami Marlins (15-19), Atlanta Braves (15-18) and Baltimore Orioles (14-17) are all ranked above the Mariners (15-17). Another reason is that Seattle is on the second longest winning streak in baseball (four games), while outscoring their opponents 26-12, including an 11-4 demolition of the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night. How a team is currently playing is a large factor into power rankings. But I’m going to assume you guys came here for some more in-depth analysis than that!

The recent upward trend in the play of a handful of players who were not previously producing is extremely encouraging.

• Mike Zunino over the past nine games: .294/.333/.618. Mike Zunino previously: .121/.212/.241.
• Logan Morrison over the past 12 games: .356/.442/.800. Logan Morrison previously: .149/.197/.194.
• Robinson Cano over the past 11 games: .326/.375/.395. Robinson Cano previously: .244/.286/.372.
• James Paxton over past three starts: 1.80 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 6.1 IP/start. James Paxton previously: 6.86 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 5 IP/start.
• Bullpen over last five games: 2.75 ERA, 1.10 WHIP. Bullpen previously: 4.01 ERA, 1.47 WHIP.

And, of course, Felix Hernandez and Nelson Cruz continue to play like the best pitcher and hitter in baseball.

Everything is trending up for the Seattle Mariners. The wins should keep coming, and the ascent up the power rankings will follow.

Next: Hisashi Iwakuma Hits A Snare

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