What was the Biggest Positive For the Seattle Mariners in 2024?
The Seattle Mariners finished this past season at 85-77, missing the playoffs by 1.0 game for the second straight year. Though the year was a colossal disappointment by that measure, there were still plenty of positives to take away.
There was the fun player development success story of Victor Robles, who went from a Washington Nationals castoff to an integral part of the M's roster. Seriously, could you imagine the Mariners even being in contention in the last month of the season if it weren't for Robles's personality, his ability to lead-off the game with a single and his 30 or so stolen bases? Not to mention his excellent defense in both center and right field.
There were also the positive strides in the last 30-plus games of the season made by the offense. Under Edgar Martinez, Julio Rodriguez looked like Julio Rodriguez again, and the offense turned from one of the worst in the league to one of the better units. That should give reason for some optimism in 2025. Cal Raleigh hitting 34 homers and bringing in 100 runs isn't too shabby, either.
Finally, there was the actual performance of the starting pitchers in 2024, which was the best in the league. The M's led the league in quality starts and a slew of other starter categories, producing the best collection of five guys across all of baseball.
So what is the biggest positive for the 2024 Mariners? For me, it dovetails off that final point: Starting pitcher health. The Mariners got a full season's worth of work from George Kirby, Logan Gilbert and Bryce Miller, while also getting a near season from Luis Castillo. Bryan Woo went on the injured list twice, but still made 22 starts in total. Most teams can't absorb the loss of key starting pitchers. Fortunately, the Mariners didn't have to. Remember 2023, when the M's lost Robbie Ray in the first start of the year? How about 2021? When they lost James Paxton the same way.
It's one thing to have a big-league staff that's as talented as the Mariners, but it's another to actually keep them healthy. The M's only used five starters in 2022 as they made the playoffs and only used seven this season (including Emerson Hancock and Jonathan Diaz). Attrition is a real thing in a 162-game season and the Mariners were fortunate to go through the regular season largely unscathed.
Kudos to the training and coaching staff, as well as the players themselves, for putting in the work. Health is not a guarantee in 2025, but hopefully everyone has found a formula that is repeatable.
Follow Inside the Mariners on social media
Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on "X" @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady. You can subscribe to the "Refuse to Lose" podcast by clicking HERE:
