Sock’s MLB Power Rankings: 22. Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners land at number 22 on my MLB power rankings for this upcoming season. When will this team break its 19-year playoff drought?

Notable Additions: Rafael Montero, James Paxton, Ken Giles

Notable Losses: Carl Edwards Jr, Nestor Cortes, Dee Strange-Gordan

Current Top 5 Prospects: Jarred Kelenic, Julio Rodriguez, Emerson Hancock, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby

Seattle’s last playoff appearance was in 2001 and have only had 5 seasons above .500 since 2003. They were only 2 games out of an expanded playoff spot but still finished 3rd in the division. The nice part is that this team looks like they have a core of players on the horizon.

This teams hitting was not something to be proud of last season. They finished in the bottom 5 in every hitting category except stolen bases. The Mariner’s best hitter last season was Kyle Lewis who had a .262 batting average. The good news, that was alongside 11 home runs and 28 RBIs in his rookie season. Evan White’s rookie season wasn’t fantastic but he did have 8 home runs and won a gold glove at first base. JP Crawford is continuing to establish himself as a legit defensive threat at shortstop. He just needs to improve his .255 batting average. Last but not least, the 33-year-old Kyle Seager, who is the longest-tenured Mariner. He is in his contract year after coming off a season where he hit .241 with 9 home runs and a team-high 40 RBIs. I expect big-hitting years from Seager and Lewis and great defense from White and Crawford this upcoming season.

The pitching was the strength of this Mariners team in 2020. They had a 6 man rotation last year lead by Marco Gonzales. He was recently given a contract extension and delivered by going 7-2 with a 3.10ERA and an 8.3 K/9. Justus Sheffield was the next man up. He posted a 4-3 record with a 3.58ERA and a 7.8 K/9. Now this team adds back James Paxton who they traded away 2 years ago to acquire Sheffield. Paxton will be looking to return to his pre Yankees form in his second stint with the Mariners.

The bullpen last year was one of the worst in the MLB last season. The Mariners finished bottom 5 in every bullpen category. Thankfully the Mariners made some moves. They were able to acquire Rafael Montero from the Rangers and sign Ken Giles as well. While Ken Giles won’t be able to pitch this season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, they will be able to use him in 2022.

Now, let’s take a look at the Mariners X-Factors this upcoming season.

Sock’s 2 X-Factors

1. Kyle Lewis

Lewis came back after a bad knee injury in 2017 and was still able to tally 30 home runs and 171 RBIs in his minor league career. The now ready to be the franchise center fielder, Kyle Lewis, age 25, won rookie of the year this past season hitting .262 with 11 home runs. Lewis has the tools to be one of the best center fielders in the league. Committing only 2 errors and finishing 3rd in the NL in putouts as an outfielder. His defense will only get better with time and his bat can be lethal in the next few years. The best part is that he won’t hit free agency until 2026. Projected 2021 Stats. .272 25HR 87RBIs

2. James Paxton

Paxton returning to the team where he made his name. Some people seem to forget how dominant he was in Seattle. In his 6 seasons with Seattle, he had a 3.42ERA and a 9.5 K/9. After Paxton was traded to the Yankees, he still was very good putting up a 3.82ERA and an 11.1 K/9. The knock-on Paxton is his injury history. In his last season with the Yankees, he only played 2 games. Yes, the injury history is a concern but, Paxton has proven what he can do when he is healthy and I expect him to return to form. Projected 2021 Stats. 12-7 3.60ERA 178SO 1.20WHIP

Prospects to look forward to

1. Julio Rodriguez

Signing with the Mariners in 2017, Rodriguez has torn up the minors ever since hitting .322 with 17 home runs in his 2 minor league seasons. He has a great arm to play right field and has only been improving in the minors. At 20 years old, Rodriguez has the potential to be a fantastic outfielder for the Mariners joining Jarred Kelenic and Kyle Lewis as a future elite trio. We could see this trio as early as 2022.

2. Emerson Hancock

Drafted with the 6th overall pick in the 2020 MLB draft, Hancock was one of the best pitching prospects in this draft class. His best season in college came in 2019 where he had a 1.99ERA and a K/9 of 9.7. With an excellent fastball and an extremely effective slider, he can bring high strikeout numbers to the Mariners rotation. When he fell to the Mariners at number 6, he was scooped up very quickly. He has yet to play in minors so I wouldn’t expect to see him until 2023.

My prediction for the Mariners this upcoming season is that they will finish fourth in the division with a 69-93 record. After doing some research on this team, I feel like hope is on the way. This franchise has been drafting well and has made some good accusations in the last year. I can see them making a run for the playoffs in 2023.