Seattle Mariners eliminated from playoff contention
SEATTLE, WA - JULY 06: Dylan Moore #25 of the Seattle Mariners reacts after striking out to end the third inning during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at T-Mobile Park on July 6, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. (Stephen Brashear / Getty Images)
The Seattle Mariners will be spectators for the MLB postseason yet again after being officially eliminated from playoff contention on Thursday afternoon.
Victories by the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals slammed the door on the postseason chances of a team that once held a 10-game lead in the AL West in mid-June. The Houston Astros clinched a fourth straight AL West crown with a win over the Mariners on Tuesday night, and Thursday's results eliminated the Mariners from Wild Card contention.
Since holding that 10-game lead in the division on June 18, the Mariners have gone 38-46 – which is the third-worst record in the American League. Only the Los Angeles Angels and Chicago White Sox have lost more games over that stretch.
The collapse was fueled primarily by a woefully anemic offense that couldn't provide enough support for one of baseball's best starting rotations. The Mariners rank second-worst in batting average (.224), and lead all of baseball in strikeouts (1,603). With one more strikeout over their final three games, the Mariners will set a new franchise record for strikeouts in a single season, surpassing their previous record set last season.
Meanwhile, the Mariners led all of MLB in quality starts (six innings pitched, three runs or fewer allowed) with 92, which is 13 more than their closest competitor in the Philadelphia Phillies. The Mariners have lost 31 of those 92 quality starts from their rotation.
While the offense was the biggest reason for the downfall, injuries to the bullpen piled up as well with Matt Brash missing the season altogether, Gregory Santos missing most of the year, Gabe Speier being down for a long stretch, and more.
The midseason slide led the Mariners to fire manager Scott Servais and hitting coach Jarret DeHart in August, with Dan Wilson installed as the new manager. The Mariners are 18-13 since the managerial change and have seen a surge in their offense over the last month, but it wasn't enough to overcome the summer free fall.