The Seattle Mariners saw some progress in their rebuild in 2020, as the team went 27-33. But while the team has a few exciting players of value, it will be tough to bet on them in 2021. Our MLB predictions don’t see the Mariners going very far, as they are still trying to rebuild.
How the Offense Looks
The Seattle Mariners are looking forward to watching what Kyle Lewis has to offer. The reigning Rookie of the Year had a .262 average last season with eleven home runs. J.P. Crawford will also contribute to the team’s offense at shortstop, aiming to build on his .255 season.
NEVER. A. DOUBT. @KLew_5 is the 2020 Jackie Robinson AL Rookie of the Year! 🏆 #KLewROY pic.twitter.com/rgserAmd9L
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) November 9, 2020
Kyle Seager remains the top player on offense, but he may be on the move this year. At 33 years of age, the team might consider Seager to be too old to keep competing with the team at this point. He could be traded during the deadline for some prospects as the Mariners continue their rebuilding campaign.
Ty France saw a bit of promise this season. The young player who was acquired in a trade with the San Diego Padres last season had a .305 average and four home runs. He played for about half the season, so he hopes to be more productive this coming year.
Whether top-rated outfield prospect Julio Y. Rodriguez will join the Mariners this season remains questionable. Rodriguez shows promise, but he may end the season at the AAA level.
Watching the Pitching
The Mariner pitching staff doesn’t have many positives to watch. The departures of Felix Hernandez and James Paxton were both substantial events, and this offseason’s departures of Yoshihisa Hirano and Bryan Shaw won’t make things easier.
Yusei Kikuchi showed growing pains last season, as he had a 5.17 ERA in 47 innings. He is still adapting to the American way of playing baseball and should improve.
Marco Gonzales and Justus Sheffield will remain on the rotation. Rafael Montero joins the team from the Texas Rangers as their new closer. The team also added two other highly-touted minor league relievers in Will Vest and Kenyan Middleton.
Andres Munoz may also return to the bullpen at some point. He had Tommy John surgery this past March.
Chris Flexen will be an interesting figure to watch on the rotation this season. Flexen played with the Doosan Bears of the KBO last season. He had a 3.01 ERA with the Bears, and he also averaged about ten strikeouts for every nine innings.
He didn’t compete with the New York Mets very well, so the Mariners hope this past season in South Korea will have helped him become a better pitcher.
Where Will the Mariners Finish in Their Division?
Our prediction is that the Seattle Mariners will finish in fourth place in the AL West in 2020. The Mariners have too many weaknesses on their roster to fully justify them going too far this coming season.
Will the Mariners Make the Playoffs?
We also do not see the Mariners reaching the playoffs in our MLB predictions. We don’t see much to get excited about surrounding the Mariners and how they have been performing.
The squad does feature some talented players that will make waves in the future, but the Mariners are still in a rebuilding phase. Don’t be surprised if the team decides to sell off some of their high-value assets during the trade deadline this season.
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