ESPN MLB Insider Says Seattle Mariners Are a Good Team, Not Just Out to a Good Start
In this story:
Entering play on Friday, the Seattle Mariners are 22-14 and in first place in the American League West. The M's are out to their best 36-game start since 2003 and have won nine straight series for the first time since 2001.
The question is, are they actually a good team, or are they just a team that's out to a good start?
We asked that question of ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney on this Thursday's edition of the Refuse to Lose podcast.
Question: Buster, at what point do we start saying that a team is good, vs. just being a team that is out to a good start?
Answer: We are there, and it's not only me who feels that way. When you're talking about nearly a quarter of the season being played, that's a large enough sample size, I think, to draw some conclusions. And look around baseball. The Rangers just fired their hitting coach, Donnie Ecker, because of what went on to this stage. The Pittsburgh Pirates have decided this is enough sample size to make a decision on Derek Shelten, their manager. He got fired just before you and I started talking. So I think we're there, where teams are evaluating the early season results and feeling like 'we can start to make some decisions based on what we've seen.'
You can listen to the full interview with Olney in the player below:
The Mariners will be back in action on Friday night against the Toronto Blue Jays with first pitch coming at 6:40 p.m. PT.
Related Stories on Seattle Mariners
NEW PODCAST IS OUT! Brady is back for another episode of "Refuse to Lose," talking about how he's trying to enjoy the M's success, rather than be cynical about it. Furthermore, he discusses the issues with Bryce Miller's mechanics and has some fun talking about the "Marine Layer" podcast guys throwing out the first pitch at the Everett AquaSox game this week. And, we talk with Rob Bradford of "Baseball isn't Boring" about his recent discussion with Jerry Dipoto on the state of the M's. CLICK HERE:
HISTORIC STREAK: Randy Arozarena will enter play on Friday with a 30-game on-base streak, which is the longest streak for the M's since Teoscar Hernandez in 2023. CLICK HERE:
WHAT's UP WITH BRYCE? Bryce Miller has struggled so far this season, and we think we've found a mechanical flaw. What's our thought? CLICK HERE:
Follow Seattle Mariners on SI 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 @RefuseToLosePod. You can subscribe to the "Refuse to Lose" podcast by clicking HERE.
