Mariners Odds & Ends: MLB The Show ratings, uniform notes and more

Mar 7, 2024, 3:42 PM | Updated: 7:28 pm

Julio Rodríguez of the Seattle Mariners slaps hands with fans at 2024 spring training. (Aaron Doster/Getty Images)

(Aaron Doster/Getty Images)

Seattle Sports

When it comes to following the Seattle Mariners, there’s more than just what happens on the field and in the box scores. Some fans like to play as the Mariners in video games, or maybe they’re more into keeping up on the latest uniform changes and official hats.

If that piques your interest, well, this notebook is for you.

Morosi on Mariners: Why Ryan Bliss is potential rookie to watch

Here’s a look at some of those odd and ends concerning the Mariners as we get ready for the 2024 MLB season.

Seattle Mariners’ top MLB The Show ratings

On Thursday, a ratings reveal stream was aired on the MLB The Show Twitch channel, and we got our first look at how the Mariners’ top players will be rated for the annual video game (the 2024 version is set to be released March 19).

A quick breakdown of how the ratings work: 85 or higher is in the diamond tier, 80-84 is considered gold, 75-79 is silver, 60-74 is bronze, and anything below is considered common. So how do the Mariners shake out? Only their five highest-rated players were revealed, and they have three diamonds and two golds just on the cusp on the highest level. Not too shabby.

Leading the list is no surprise: Julio Rodríguez, Seattle’s superstar center fielder, is one of the best players in the game with a 93 overall rating.

JULIOOOOOO! 🔱@Mariners @MLBDominicana
https://t.co/vGJG5kjolU #MLBTheShow pic.twitter.com/uIl39lWtAX

— MLB The Show (@MLBTheShow) March 7, 2024

Next up is ace Luis Castillo at 87, but he’s not the only diamond starting pitcher for the M’s. Fellow 2023 Mariners All-Star George Kirby is an 85 overall.

As for the golds, both catcher Cal Raleigh and relief pitcher Andrés Muñoz are 84 ratings.

Raleigh actually appeared on the stream as he was asked to guess his ratings. True to his down to earth personality, he guessed low.

Big Dumper overall! 😂@Mariners https://t.co/vGJG5kjolU #MLBTheShow pic.twitter.com/EYv2tRrFHr

— MLB The Show (@MLBTheShow) March 7, 2024

You can find the Mariners portion of the MLB The Show Twitch stream around the two-hour, 34-minute mark at this link.

What the M’s are wearing

You’ve probably seen all the uproar about the new Nike-designed, Fanatics-produced jerseys and pants around MLB this season, so we won’t dive into that here. For more info, though, check out either of the two articles linked below.

Fanatics founder: Company unfairly blamed | Players miffed at unis, relaying concerns

As for Mariners-specific updates, there are a few, though nothing is earth-shattering.

First, the navy jerseys that have become the regular choice for road games will have the same font for the nameplate on the back as all the other M’s jerseys. Uni Watch covered that in detail here, and it’s safe to say this change will make a lot of fans happy.

Next, there is an interesting bit of speculation entering the second year of Seattle’s City Connect uniforms. On Wednesday, this picture of Rodríguez caught some attention because it shows him wearing the blue City Connect jersey and hat with white pants – not the controversial black pants they were paired with in 2023. Whether or not this is a sign of things to come in 2024, it does make for a pleasing, clean look (I’d still flip the hat’s logo in a direction that isn’t associated with bad luck, but I digress).

Speaking of hat logos, the Mariners have a pretty sharp new batting practice cap.

The 2024 Batting Practice cap has arrived! This cap brings the iconic “S” of the ‘80s to the color scheme of the ‘90s.

Visit https://t.co/lM0TOmoNU8 for store locations and hours. Can’t make it in? Call us at 206.346.4287 to place an order. pic.twitter.com/MYxdQvENai

— Mariners Team Store (@MarinersStore) February 20, 2024

This utilizes the ‘S’ logo from 1987-92 but in the team’s current color scheme of Northwest green, navy and white. I can’t remember an official M’s cap ever using a white front panel (save for an All-Star Game), and let me just say, that’s a great move.

The Mariners have also been wearing new spring training caps. This one is maybe even more of a departure as the primary color is mint, so it’s not quite the same shade as the Northwest Green jerseys it has been paired with. I’m never mad any time the compass logo gets to shine on its own (remember these bad boys in the late 90s?), so another good offering for the hat enthusiasts out there.

2024 Spring Training caps are here and they are 🔥! Get yours today at our @TMobilePark or Downtown Seattle Team Stores. We open at 11am, see you then! 😎 pic.twitter.com/8uFDZf8vx6

— Mariners Team Store (@MarinersStore) February 5, 2024

Promotions

There are a ton of fun giveaways in the first month alone of the M’s season at T-Mobile Park.

For example, three straight nights of Julio Rodríguez “No Fly Zone” bobbleheads from April 1-3 against the Guardians. Or a similar three-game series against Cincinnati from April 15-17 where the promotion is a Ken Griffey Jr. “Home Run Robbery” bobblehead.

If Julio says it’s 🔥, then it’s 🔥

Get your @JRODshow44 bobblehead when we take on the Guardians, April 1-3.

🎟️ https://t.co/LvQDOOEjIN pic.twitter.com/AN7V23qDGP

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) March 1, 2024

On April 26 against Arizona will be Mariners Turn Ahead the Clock Jersey Night, with the first 15,000 fans receiving the sleeveless black-and-red gem (sorry, the M’s themselves will not be wearing those uniforms against the D-backs).

Click here to go through the full list of promotions, including additional bobbleheads, Funkos, themed jerseys, hats and more.

Until the M’s return to Seattle to begin the regular season on March 28 against the Boston Red Sox, don’t forget that every radio broadcast from spring training is live on the Seattle Sports app. For more details plus a schedule, click here.