Why have Mariners been AL’s best offense this month? Passan weighs in

Sep 24, 2024, 11:57 AM

Seattle Mariners OF Victor Robles beats the tag of Houston's Yainer Diaz on Sept. 23, 2024. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)

(Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Seattle Sports

During ESPN baseball insider Jeff Passan‘s weekly conversation with Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk about the Mariners, he had to take a step back while talking about the M’s potentially trading one of their starting pitchers in the upcoming offseason for offensive help.

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“If you want to get a capital ‘D’ dude in return, I think you’ve got to give up (Logan) Gilbert or (George) Kirby,” Passan said Tuesday. “And that probably at the end of the day is where I personally would lean, and it pains me to say that. And it especially pains me to say that after seeing, oh my God, this Mariners team, maybe they do have the ability to hit in them.”

Passan had good reason to say that. In the month of September, the Mariners are third in MLB and lead the American League in both team OPS (.795) and runs scored (108). Seattle is also third in MLB in hits this month with 196 in 21 games thus far, has the second-most walks (84), and its 195 strikeouts are less than six other teams, which is an improvement for an offense that leads the league in that category for the season.

“The third-best offense in baseball (in September) – the best offense in the American League, guys – has been your Seattle Mariners. And I’ll be honest, I didn’t think they had that in them,” Passan said. “I don’t know if it’s sustainable, probably not at this point, but it’s sure been nice to see.”

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Of course, with the Mariners (81-76) entering Tuesday still 1 1/2 games back of a playoff spot with only five games to go, there’s the worry that the offensive emergence has come just a little too late.

“It’s sure been frustrating to see knowing what could have been had they just shown up two weeks earlier – not even like four weeks or six weeks or eight weeks,” Passan said of Seattle’s September performance at this plate. “Just two more weeks of this, and the Mariners are in the playoffs and we’re not going through any of the agita we’re going through this week as you guys sit there with nubbed fingernails from biting them because you are too nervous to bear what this team has given you all season long.”

Who’s behind the Mariners’ surge

OK, so why have the Mariners been so much better with the bats this month? Passan pointed at a few specific players, starting with the man at the top of the Seattle lineup.

“This is such a weird thing to say: Victor Robles has been unbelievable in September,” Passan said. “I think Victor Robles setting the table as a guy who doesn’t strike out, as a guy who gets on base… I think when you have somebody on base, guys, it just changes the mindset of this team, and all Victor Robles has done all month is get on base.”

In 18 September games, Robles has an outstanding slash line of .444/.522/.574 for a 1.096 OPS with seven doubles, 17 runs scored, eight RBIs, and 11 stolen bases on 12 attempts (though it’s hard to forget about the one time he was caught).

Passan also mentioned the current AL Player of the Week, Julio Rodríguez, who is at .351/.375/.588 for a .963 OPS with six home runs, five doubles and six steals in September, and catcher Cal Raleigh, who is slashing .276/.394/.474 (.868 OPS) with four homers and three doubles this month.

But to pair with Robles, there’s another midseason acquisition who has Passan’s attention: Justin Turner, Seattle’s 39-year-old first baseman.

“Justin Turner has been like prime Justin Turner, as well,” he said. “… My favorite hitter in baseball, it’s the equivalent of the NBA, you got your 50/40/90 guys – 50% from the field, 40% from 3-point range, 90% from the free-throw line. The equivalent to me in baseball is the .300/.400/.500 guy – .300 batting average, .400 on-base, .500 slugging. Justin Turner has been .299/.398/.463 this month. It’s about as productive as you can imagine for somebody in his position.”

Still a source of frustration

It’s certainly nice to see the Mariners’ offense producing like this at the end of the season, but if Seattle can’t make up the ground it needs to in such a short amount of time this week, the feeling about it won’t be as positive.

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“It’s like, this is what could have been,” Passan said. “It’s heartening, and it is immensely frustrating to know that the Mariners had this in them, and finally after all this time it was unlocked. And it speaks to, I think, a wasted opportunity of this team, and that’s the thing that if they don’t pull this off we’re going to look back on.”

Listen to Tuesday’s conversation with ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan in the podcast near the top of this post or at this link. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.