2 Takes: What are the Mariners missing most right now?

The Seattle Mariners haven’t been who we thought they’d be this season. Those high expectations weren’t only held by fans or local hosts; the biggest national voices in baseball also expected Seattle to be right at the top of the American League.

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They’re not. Instead, they’re second in the AL West and hanging onto the third wild card spot in July. And while they’re just 1.5 games out of first place and still hold favorable postseason odds, it doesn’t quite do justice to how it feels watching the team right now.

What’s missing from the Mariners?

In a season filled with injuries and bad luck, that answer could easily be health, and it’s worth acknowledging their misfortune there. But between producer Curtis Rogers and myself, we had different answers Monday on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy. Here’s what we said.

Curtis Rogers: Slugging

The Mariners are 27th in batting average (.230), but what’s really missing is the power. They’re 28th in slugging percentage (.380), ahead of the Cleveland Guardians and not far behind the Toronto Blue Jays. And all three teams are there for similar reasons: whether by absence (Cleveland’s José Ramirez) or a strange season (Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr.), all three teams are missing home runs from their biggest bat.

In Seattle’s case, it’s Cal Raleigh. No one expected the All-Star catcher to hit 60 homers again this year, but Raleigh’s numbers have also veered quite below his career average from 2022-2024. He’s not truly last year’s Raleigh, but he’s not really this player, either – which has left a city full of fans scratching their heads.

Beyond Raleigh, though, the Mariners are missing power all over the lineup. They’re 14th in home runs after finishing third in 2025. Interestingly, they’re 29th in doubles this year, and were in the same spot last season and 27th in 2024. They’re more homer-reliant than anything else, but the absence of those extra-base hits is felt more when the homers aren’t coming and runners are being left stranded.

“There have been sustained power outages all throughout this lineup,” Rogers said. “Right now your offense is in a really bad spot because you’ve not been able to get those crooked numbers up.

“(Sunday) was an exception to that, because Randy (Arozarena) hit a three-run home run and that blew the game wide open. J.P. Crawford hit a double that plated two runs. That’s an example of having slugging produce a lot for you, and to me, it’s the biggest thing missing from this ball club.”

Stacy Rost: Tough leadership

When it comes to play on the field, I think Curtis is right here, so I went in a more abstract direction (though I think it’s just as important.)

The Mariners are a team full of good people, likeable characters, and players – like Cal Raleigh and J.P. Crawford – who have comfortably assumed leadership roles. But there’s a tougher form of leadership that feels absent right now, and I think a team in this spot could use it.

The season has had a disappointing start. Offense has certainly struggled, but what about things within your control? A six-man rotation and controversial lineups are a way to keep all pitchers trade-eligible and keep power in the heart of the lineup, but is there also an effort to protect egos here? Who’s having hard conversations with Luis Castillo and Bryce Miller about their piggyback roles? Cal most certainly isn’t this poor a player, but his year is off and he’s feeling a ton of pressure. If he isn’t able to turn it on in the second half, does he need to be in the heart of the order?

I’ve always been of the belief that it’s a wasted effort to be upset with players for not pulling themselves from situations. It runs counter to the stubborn belief in themselves and hyper-competitiveness that got them here. And it’s why tough leadership from a third party is so important.

Seattle Mariners news and more

• 3 things we learned about Mariners 1st-round pick Ace Reese
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• Seattle Mariners hopeful Julio Rodríguez will return after All-Star break

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