Who Are Mariners' Most Important Players For Postseason Run?
The Mariners have added impact throughout their roster over the last year, both adding to their lineup and their rotation. Players like Robbie Ray, Luis Castillo and Eugenio Suárez have added numerous wins to Seattle in a season that will likely see the organization end its 20-year postseason drought.
But when it comes to a playoff series, everything becomes different. Pitching depth is magnified, and teams with bad pitching always get exposed. In a three-game playoff series like the wild-card round, the pitching matchups will be tremendous.
Having two front-line starters like Ray and Castillo is very impactful, but not the end all be all. Castillo or Ray could struggle early in a game, and manager Scott Servais could decide to lean on his bullpen, which is one of the best in baseball.
One area where the Mariners have struggled all season is hitting with runners in scoring position, as they have been ultra-reliant on home runs as of late. In addition, the Mariners are 28th in all of MLB in production with the bases loaded, running just a .207 batting average in those situations.
No matter how well you can pitch in October, you need guys who can hit against the best pitchers in the league. Julio Rodríguez can certainly do that, but is ultimately inexperienced and cannot be the only hitter driving the ship for Seattle.
If the Mariners want to make noise in the postseason, they are going to need two bats that can do damage in big spots against the best arms in baseball. Mitch Haniger and Ty France will need to step up.
France carried the offense during their recent seven-game win streak. Over those seven games, the Mariners first baseman had four home runs, eight RBI and at least one hit in each game. More importantly: Seattle averaged 5.85 runs per game over that span.
Haniger is the other key to success for Seattle. The Mariners' right fielder came up clutch nearly every time they needed him to last season, and a big home run in the playoffs could completely shift a series. His ability to hit with RISP is essential for Seattle to make a deep run.
We haven't seen a late inning, signature Haniger home run this season, but maybe he is saving it for October.
