Optimism High as Mariners Begin 2022 Campaign

With the 2022 Major League Baseball season beginning, it’s no secret what’s on the table for the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners have a legitimate chance to end the longest active playoff drought in North American sports.

While the last 20 years of heartbreak have made skeptics of even Seattle’s most faithful fans, General Manager Jerry Dipoto has fielded a team that has even the Mariners’ most persistent critics peeking in with hope.

After winning 90 games and falling just short of a postseason berth in 2021, the front office knew it was time to spend, with the November acquisition of CY Young-winning pitcher Robbie Ray kicking off expectations of a blistering offseason.

Ray, who led American League starters with a 2.84 ERA in 2021, acknowledges the anticipation surrounding the Mariners.

“Seeing the last series that was played here, the fanbase showing up, talking to [Dipoto] and Justin and ownership and seeing the vision and the direction of this team and the way that it was headed, I just wanted to be a part of it,” Ray said. “And I could just tell the excitement with this organization and this city. This team is hungry for a world series.”

Dipoto followed with the signing of all-star second baseman Adam Frazier, before an MLB lockout put the free-agent frenzy on pause.

When the lockout ended in mid-march, the Mariners were expected to be in hot pursuit of several big-name free agents, including Kris Bryant, Trevor Story, and Carlos Correa.

Instead, Dipoto looked into his bag of tricks and across the Ohio River, trading with the Reds for left fielder Jesse Winker, who hit .305 with 24 home runs despite flying relatively under the radar in 2021.

“[Winker] has been on our radar for quite some time,” Dipoto said. “He has always been a good fit for us. Just a young, left-handed hitting outfielder. Those guys are always on the radar.”

Third baseman Eugenio Suarez was also included in the trade, as the Mariners look for Kyle Seager’s replacement at the hot corner.

Suarez has struggled with hitting consistently in recent years, as he managed a paltry .198 batting average in 2021. But Suarez provides a potential addition of power to the Mariners lineup, evidenced by 49 home runs in 2019.

Perhaps the most anticipated Mariner to grace the field in 2022 comes not from free agency, but from a homegrown player drafted in 2018, Julio Rodriguez.

Rodriguez, flashing a Griffey-esque charisma and evoking shades of Hank Aaron with his number 44, lit up Peoria with a .412 spring training batting average, being named to the opening day roster at just 21 years old.

“I feel amazing, honestly,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve been working really hard for this moment right now, getting that call, ok you’re gonna be up with the big league club, it feels really good.”

Rodriguez joins an outfield boasting right fielder Mitch Haniger, who led Seattle with 39 home runs in his 2021 campaign. Upon his return from injury, Mariners fans are ecstatic to see the aforementioned Winker, fellow phenom Jarred Kelenic, and former rookie of the year Kyle Lewis suit up in white and blue.

The opening day lineup will presumably showcase Suarez at third base and Frazier at second, alongside gold-glove shortstop JP Crawford, and first baseman Ty France, who led the Mariners with a .291 batting average in 2021.

While the Mariners have the pieces necessary to finally end the drought, questions persist in the postseason pursuit.

Despite 90 wins, Seattle’s run differential was -51, and the team combined for a .226 batting average, dead-last in the major leagues.

The back end of the pitching rotation is a question mark, with Logan Gilbert and Matt Brash yet to prove themselves as elite pitchers at the MLB level.

The AL West will remain fierce, as the Astros, Angels, and Rangers all have a genuine opportunity to contend for the postseason.

But baseball is exciting again in Seattle. And the starved fanbase will relish in the opportunity to be competitive again as the Mariners chase their postseason aspirations.

Reach reporter Ethan Kilbreath at ethanarl@uw.edu. Twitter: @EthanArles.