We could sift through a list of the most disappointing teams in baseball this season, and there are certainly strong arguments elsewhere (Mets, Blue Jays, etc.), but the Seattle Mariners are toward the top of that list. And yet, there's still an opening for them to end up with at least the three seed on the American League playoff bracket and maybe even get a bye with the two seed. The Mariners sit just 2 ½ games back on the woeful AL West behind the uninspiring Astros, with the equally uninspiring Rangers only a half game behind the 'Stros.
Obviously, the Mariners have overall been uninspiring on the season, but they are finishing up a gauntlet of a schedule for the month of August in which they've faced the Rays, Yankees, Astros, Brewers, Cubs and Phillies, and they haven't fared terribly. They've now won eight of their last 12 and have taken a series in Houston in addition to winning series over the Cubs and Phillies at home. Even better news for the Mariners: Big Dumper might be back.
Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh has easily had the most disappointing season among individual players this season. Through Aug. 15, he was hitting .156/.266/.291 with just 12 home runs in 90 games. Remember, he hit 60 bombs last season and barely missed out on MVP, losing by just a few votes to Aaron Judge.
In his last nine games, however, Raleigh is hitting .348 with a .531 on-base percentage and six home runs, including three on Monday night against the Phillies. If we pare that down to five games, he's even hotter: a five-game hitting streak with a .438 average, more walks than strikeouts, five home runs and eight RBI. Obviously, a three-HR game skews things a bit in there, but that still counts, and part of his game last year was home runs coming in bunches.
The Mariners haven't lost a game in which Raleigh homered since April 27. Since then, they are 9-0 when he hits a home run. Obviously, it's going to take more than just Raleigh waking up for the Mariners to make a run, but they have the pieces, and he's such a key piece that his possible resurgence is a game-changer in and of itself.
Now, about that remaining schedule. The Mariners play the subpar-but-sometimes-competent Blue Jays in Toronto this weekend before getting three games in Fenway Park against the likely playoff-bound Red Sox. That's a somewhat tough road trip, but not entirely unworkable.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
