Mariners: Why They Will Make the Postseason

Mariners General Manager Jerry Dipoto has overhauled the roster, and it appears Seattle will have a chance to break their playoff curse under second-year manager Scott Servais.

I’m calling my shot in late March. This Mariners team has got me feeling some kind of nice. I predict the Mariners’ postseason drought will be vanquished at the end of the 2017 campaign. There are some numbers that back me up on this.

First, the Mariners finished 86-76 last season, second in the AL West and three games back of a Wild Card spot. They have come oh-so-close two of the past three seasons, posting an 87-75 record in 2014, one game back of the last Wild Card spot.

The 2017 Mariners on paper seem better than either of these two clubs. They are now built to play at Safeco. They have speed. They have athletes.

I hesitate to ever call a ballpark “not a hitter’s park.” There is no such thing. There may be a park that is not a home run hitter’s park, but there are more types of hitters than just swing-for-the-fences guys.

Safeco Field is a hitter’s park if you like hitting gap to gap, with doubles and stolen bases. Guys like Jarrod Dyson, Leonys Martin and Jean Segura should flourish in such a park.

The Mariners need to take care of business at home this year. Last year, some homestands left a lot to be desired.

If the Mariners truly are going to make the postseason, they got to make hay in their home park. I believe they will, with the athleticism of their current lineup.

Let’s dive deeper into some numbers that help plead this case.