Mariners Spring Training Preview: Can They Take the Next Step?
The Seattle Mariners have struggled to get over the hump.
Despite having no shortage of stars over the past two decades — Ichiro Suzuki, Félix Hernández, Adrián Beltré and Robinson Canó, to name a few — the Mariners have only made the playoffs once in the past 23 years (2022). But Seattle has won at least 85 games in each of the past four seasons.
Now, behind Julio Rodríguez — one of baseball’s brightest young stars — and a pitching staff that was among MLB’s best in 2024, there’s still real hope in the Emerald City yet again.
T-Mobile Park gears up to host the anticipated upcoming Mariners season. After falling just one game short of the AL wild card — despite winning eight of its final 10 games — Seattle should be carried by pitching again in 2025.
The Mariners are led by a quartet of power arms all under 27 years old — Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo. The stacked rotation also includes 32-year-old Luis Castillo, who has won 25 games over the past two seasons. Seattle allowed the fewest runs in baseball last season.
Offensively, the M’s are hoping for a rebound season from Rodríguez. After hitting 32 homers and driving in 103 runs in 2023, J-Rod slumped to just 20 homers and 68 RBIs last season. He’s surrounded by an improving lineup that includes Cal Raleigh — one of the game’s best catchers — J.P. Crawford, Victor Robles and former Rays star Randy Arozarena, who was acquired at the trade deadline last season.
Can the Mariners take the next step? Behind a promising rotation and a strong bullpen, the Mariners are ready to give their all in what could be a breakthrough season.
2024 record: 85-77 (Second, AL West)
Last Postseason Appearance: 2022 (Lost ALDS 3-0 to Houston Astros)
What Happened in 2024: A lacking offense tied with injuries, low batting average and high strikeout rates, along with overall underperformances from key players and a strikeout tendency led the Mariners to be offensively stagnant but defensively solid (607 runs allowed).
New Arrivals
- P Casey Legumina (Cincinnati Reds)
- C Blake Hunt (Baltimore Orioles)
- 3B Miles Mastrobuoni (Chicago Cubs)
- 1B Austin Shenton (Tampa Bay Rays)
Key Departures
- LF Cade Marlowe (Tacoma Rainiers)
Projected Batting Order*
- RF Victor Robles
- CF Julio Rodríguez
- C Cal Raleigh
- LF Randy Arozarena
- 1B Luke Raley
- DH Mitch Haniger
- SS J. P. Crawford
- 2B Jorge Polanco
- 2B Dylan Moore
Projected Rotation*
- Logan Gilbert (RHP)
- Luis Castillo (RHP)
- George Kirby (RHP)
- Bryce Miller (RHP)
- Bryan Woo (RHP)
Projected Bullpen*
Long-Relief: Carlos Vargas (RHP)
Mid-Relief: Trenton Thornton (RHP), Taylor Saucedo (LHP), Eduard Bazardo (RHP), Gabe Speier (LHP)
Set-Up: Collin Snider (RHP), Gregory Santos (RHP)
Closer: Andrés Muñoz (RHP)
Biggest Question: Can they round out the infield?
With struggles at second and third base, how will the Mariners patch these issues throughout the season? The bullpen projections make it hopefully stronger than last year, solving one key problem, but the Mariners need to be able to develop the whole team, especially players like Polanco and Raley, to be able to perform when Arozarena and Raleigh aren’t at their best.
Team MVP: Julio Rodríguez
Rodríguez was incredible in his first two seasons, but slumped last year to his lowest batting average, home run and RBI totals of his short career. However, he faced a recurring ankle sprain issue along with some lower-back injuries that limited his performance. Now, entering 2025, he is poised to rebound back to the MVP-candidacy ways of his first two years.
Breakout Candidate: Ryan Sloan
Formerly a top draft pick, his 90-96 mph fastball puts him in a great position to develop during this season. At 19 years old and 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, he has a strong lower body that has allowed him to add a variety of different change-ups to his arsenal.
Key Stat: .224
The Mariners struggled severely with a low team batting average of .224 and the second-lowest collective number of hits with 1195. A team that can’t hit and frequently strikes out can’t last in the postseason. When Arozerona was on the Rays, he totaled 101 strikeouts. However, this dropped to only 68 with Seattle in the second half of the season. To improve this season, the team should begin its redemption arc by fine-tuning players’ approaches in the box and pushing forward Julio Rodríguez.
2025 Will Be Successful If… they can just trot a consistent lineup out.
Having so many players injured, like Polanco, the Mariners will need to focus on proper conditioning throughout the spring and summer to keep their roster together. If they’re healthy late in the season, the Mariners will be positioned to contend for a playoff berth.
2025 Prediction: Third in AL West, Playoff Berth
The Mariners will have a more successful season this year than last, but an appearance in the playoffs will be highly dependent on whether or not they can keep their roster healthy (for the first time in decades) and how improved their hitters are.
*Projections were pulled from FanGraphs as of March 8
Category: Cactus League, Seattle Mariners, Uncategorized
Tagged: al west Bryan Woo Bryce Miller Cal Raleigh George Kirby J.P. Crawford Jorge Polanco Julio Rodriguez Logan Gilrbert Luis Castillo Luke Raley Mariners Mitch Haniger MLB MLB Spring Training MLB Spring Training 2025 Randy Arozarena Ryan Sloan Seattle Seattle Mariners Victor Robles
