Why Mariners are a ‘more compelling’ team this season

The Seattle Mariners remain on top of the AL West, but they started to cool of during their recent home stand.

Seattle Mariners’ Dylan Moore shares key factors to career-best start

After going 1-5 against the Yankees and Blue Jays, the Mariners dropped to 23-19, which is the same exact record they had through 42 games a season ago. They were also in first place at this same point in 2024, with a slightly bigger division lead at 1 1/2 games compared to the one-game lead they hold right now.

There are huge differences between the two teams, though, despite the fact the roster largely remained the same. This year’s squad has gotten it done more offensive production and without dominant starting pitching.

Here’s a look at the difference between the team’s league rankings through 42 games in each season.

• 2024 offense: 23rd in runs scored, 25th in batting average, 19th in slugging percentage, 14th in walk rate and 30th in strikeout rate.
• 2025 offense: 11th in runs scored, 20th in batting average, 12th in slugging percentage, first in walk rate and 18th in strikeout rate.
• 2024 pitching: Sixth in ERA, fourth in FIP, first in WHIP, third in strikeout rate and first in walk rate.
• 2025 pitching: 19th in ERA, 13th in FIP, 21st in WHIP, 19th in strikeout rate and 15th in walk rate.

Yahoo Sports’ Jordan Shusterman discussed whether or not there’s more reason for optimism in this year’s team Wednesday during a conversation with Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy.

‘It’s more compelling’

The Mariners freefall in a number of pitching categories can be attributed to health issues within the starting rotation. George Kirby has yet to throw a pitch in the majors yet after being shut down in spring training with inflammation in his pitching shoulder, and opening-day starter Logan Gilbert has been out since late April with a flexor strain in his pitching arm. Bryce Miller also hit the injured list Wednesday with right elbow inflammation, which came after a rocky first eight starts of the season.

The injury issues are a huge contrast from last season when the M’s had four pitchers make at least 30 starts and just seven different starters throughout the entire season. This year they’ve already has seven different starters, which will likely move up to eight in the near future after Jhonathan Díaz was called up to replace Miller.

Related: M’s Miller says injury has been an ongoing issue

“It was pretty obvious coming into the season that last year was probably the outlier from a durability and just overall everything come together standpoint,” Shusterman said. “So you had to recognize that there was going to be some regression in that sense. Now it’s maybe gone a little bit more extreme in the other direction than as you would certainly plan for, but I say all that as a kind of a prelude to say that they’ve been forced to figure it out in other ways.”

The other ways the Mariners are winning revolve around their offensive production. The biggest difference has been the team’s increased ability to get on base (mostly through walks) and noticeably decreased strikeout rate.

“That is something that maybe is the product of the new hitting group, because the personnel isn’t necessarily that different,” Shusterman said. “And in that sense, it’s more compelling. Does that mean it’s more successful? Does that mean it’s something that you’re going to trust in the long run? I think the best-case scenario is that you have some of those elements in place if and when they do get to the postseason, and hopefully by then you do still have frontline arms to turn to that everybody has talked about.”

Shusterman feels good about the Mariners if they can combine what they’ve been able to do on offense with better pitching when Gilbert, Kirby and Miller make their returns, but he still sees concerns to be addressed.

“The best version of that team can absolutely win this division and make some noise in the postseason,” Shusterman said. “But the downfall, the lower parts now with these injuries are still pretty low and pretty concerning pitfalls that cannot be ignored. Maybe they’ll be addressed via trade. Maybe they’ll be addressed via guys getting healthy, but there are definitely still reasons to be worried about this team. But I think that what they’ve demonstrated is real upside that is worth being excited about.”

Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Listen to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app. 

Seattle Mariners coverage

• New updates from Seattle Mariners GM on George Kirby, Logan Gilbert
• 3 observations from a rough Seattle Mariners home stand
• Could Seattle Mariners swing an early trade? Morosi weighs in
• Passan says M’s manager Dan Wilson has unlearnable trait
• ‘Julio, you got me!’ Seattle Mariners HR robbery fools Rizzs

Related

Lazaro Montes brings Mariners something they were missingStacy Rost: 3 players who can elevate Seahawks’ ceiling in ’26Stacy: The 3 biggest Seahawks questions between now and Week 1Stacy Rost: Making sense of the Sam Darnold discourseCougs Weekly with WSU Cougars coach Kirby Moore debutsShould the Mariners re-sign Randy Arozarena?