Vitamin SEA: An AL Western Standoff
The division is up for grabs as we near the trade deadline
Aaron Judge is hitting the IL with elbow issues, and suddenly the Cal Raleigh MVP case is wide open. Judge has been the MVP favorite to this point, but Raleigh suddenly has a huge window to put all the attention back on him with the Yankee powerhouse missing time. Raleigh has been in a bit of a slump coming out of the break, but he homered immediately after Judge hit the shelf, so it seems like he’s aware of the opportunity. Sitting at 41 home runs is great but the ball is in Cal’s court right now and he needs to leave Judge in the rearview over the next two weeks. Luckily for the Big Dumper, it doesn’t seem like he needs to carry the team by himself anymore.
Julio Rodriguez is a really good baseball player. We all know this. The fact that he is so talented is what makes it so frustrating when he goes on long slumps and slow starts, as Mariners fans know how good he can be when he heats up. Well, I am happy to report that the summer sun has hit Rodriguez and he is hot, hot, hot. Since July 11th he has slashed .360/.429/.820 with seven home runs, a 248 wRC+ and a 1.249 OPS. That is superstar stuff right there. Pair the yearly Julio hulk-up with a seemingly neck-and-neck pace from Randy Arozerana, and the Seattle outfield is looking as good as it has ever been. So why have the Mariners gone 5-5 out of the break? Let’s ask Clint Eastwood:
The Good:
With J-Rod and Randy looking like gods right now, it cushions the slight slump that Cal has been in since the break, but it seems like the MVP hopeful is finding his footing again.
Logan Gilbert pitched one of the best games of his career at home against the Brewers, with ten strikeouts through six innings while allowing only two baserunners.
Josh Naylor has settled in well in Seattle so far, hitting in every game and stealing multiple bases in a game for the first time in his career.
After a year of disdain, I must give flowers to the work that Eduard Bazardo has been putting in. He is quietly putting up a 2.70 ERA and has become a legit leverage arm.
The Bad:
The bullpen continues to raise my blood pressure. Carlos Vargas and Casey Legumina have not been gaining any favor with me as of late, and the need for a fresh arm continues to mount.
JP Crawford has not looked like himself recently. He is 1 for his last 30, and his handful of defensive errors loom large right now.
Dylan Moore remains in the hot seat, and with the trade deadline looming he might be on his way out of Seattle. This is the hardest thing to reckon with as president of the Dylan Moore Fan Club. If this is the end for his time with us, I want to thank him for his years of unyielding service and Gold Glove defense.
The umpires in the Angels series sucked, I feel no need to go into detail.
The Ugly:
The price that the Arizona Diamondbacks are asking for Eugenio Suarez has made many teams balk at him, and might be giving the Mariners cold feet about a reunion with everyone’s favorite third baseman. The Mariners may be shifting priorities to bullpen help, as written by Adam Jude.
The Texas Rangers have closed the gap and are tied with the Mariners now, as if the team needed any more pressure on them.
The AL West is wide open now. The Astros are streaky and injured, the Rangers are surging, and the Mariners are the Mariners. With two months to play, four games separate all three teams now. I can’t help but think back to two years ago, when the same three teams slugged it out down the stretch and Seattle found themselves on the outside looking in. This year cannot be a repeat of 2023. The deadline and the next few weeks are going to be the most important of the season so far, and the Mariners need to stay aggressive. If Geno cannot come home, call up Minnesota and get Griffin Jax and Willi Castro. This does not feel like a year where the Mariners are just doomed to be on the outside looking in, this team is good enough to win the division. Time to go and take it.
Go M’s,
Henry “Turning on Twitter notifications for Jeff Passan” Neiman
let's ask clint eastwood 🤣