OK so...how deep could this team really go?

[MontanaHawk05]

If you're one of the bittervets who wants everyone to see that they're thinking on another level by guarding your expectations against the Mariners' previous letdowns...

...well, you go right ahead. Have fun.

And maybe you're right. Maybe the Mariners will validate your predictions and do what 29 of 30 teams do annually - not win the pennant. Way to go out on a limb, Nostradamuses.

BUUUUT for those of you who are willing to speculate a little...

...how deep of a playoff run could this team really manage?

I said a while ago that I don't quite trust our pitching for October, and I don't know if I'm ready to let go of that. The main rotation and four guys in the bullpen do feel like they've pulled it together in the last month. But I feel like it hasn't been long enough to leave me quite confident.

On offense, we have eight reliable hitters and Geno. That's wonderful. And Geno is trying to pull out of his slump. The red-hot streak is undeniable, but these things come and go, and the same lineup (minus Robles) cratered to the tune of 6-21 starting in mid-August. Yeah that's a little cherry-picked but it's illustrative of baseball.

Our opposition - I hate to say it, but as much as I enjoy watching the Astros flounder under any circumstances, they were about as healthy and potent as the 2008/2017 Seahawks. Beating them was expected. Cardinals, meh. Angels, meh. Royals, that meant something. But the Rays, Guardians, Phillies, and Mets all had our number. Will three series against contenders expose this offense? Have we seen enough to know?

I hope we pull it out. This has been special. Not just Cal, but Naylor's acquisition, Cal, Geno's return (as much as he's sucked), the Leo Rivas win, the HARRY FORD HARRY FORD win, Cal, beating the Astros, sweeping the Tigers in July, Cal, the Robles catch...this is some stuff to remember. A couple of big-balls sixth-inning stands from Kirby after getting in trouble. Suddenly finding ourselves with a league-leading foursome in our bullpen. A ton of close wins, entering our current streak with one of the lower point differentials of the postseason teams. Oh, and Cal.

What do you think? Is this pennant baseball?

I honestly see us falling a game short of the World Series, but with a 49% chance of me being wrong on that.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

ALCS

 

[Ruminator]

My "wish list" of teams the Ms face to get to the WS (which is also those teams that concern me less than certain others who are also in the playoffs) are:

ALDS: Tigers
ALCS: Red Sox
WS: Padres

I would love an Ms-Padres WS, though I realize Phillies and Brewers are much more likely on the NL side.

 

[RiverDog]

If you're one of the bittervets who wants everyone to see that they're thinking on another level by guarding your expectations against the Mariners' previous letdowns...

...well, you go right ahead. Have fun.

And maybe you're right. Maybe the Mariners will validate your predictions and do what 29 of 30 teams do annually - not win the pennant. Way to go out on a limb, Nostradamuses.

BUUUUT for those of you who are willing to speculate a little...

...how deep of a playoff run could this team really manage?

I said a while ago that I don't quite trust our pitching for October, and I don't know if I'm ready to let go of that. The main rotation and four guys in the bullpen do feel like they've pulled it together in the last month. But I feel like it hasn't been long enough to leave me quite confident.

On offense, we have eight reliable hitters and Geno. That's wonderful. And Geno is trying to pull out of his slump. The red-hot streak is undeniable, but these things come and go, and the same lineup (minus Robles) cratered to the tune of 6-21 starting in mid-August. Yeah that's a little cherry-picked but it's illustrative of baseball.

Our opposition - I hate to say it, but as much as I enjoy watching the Astros flounder under any circumstances, they were about as healthy and potent as the 2008/2017 Seahawks. Beating them was expected. Cardinals, meh. Angels, meh. Royals, that meant something. But the Rays, Guardians, Phillies, and Mets all had our number. Will three series against contenders expose this offense? Have we seen enough to know?

I hope we pull it out. This has been special. Not just Cal, but Naylor's acquisition, Cal, Geno's return (as much as he's sucked), the Leo Rivas win, the HARRY FORD HARRY FORD win, Cal, beating the Astros, sweeping the Tigers in July, Cal, the Robles catch...this is some stuff to remember. A couple of big-balls sixth-inning stands from Kirby after getting in trouble. Suddenly finding ourselves with a league-leading foursome in our bullpen. A ton of close wins, entering our current streak with one of the lower point differentials of the postseason teams. Oh, and Cal.

What do you think? Is this pennant baseball?

I honestly see us falling a game short of the World Series, but with a 49% chance of me being wrong on that.

I think that they're the best team in the AL at the moment, and they've gotten hot at the right time, winning 14 of 15 down the stretch. Normally, I'm pretty guarded about my optimism as the Mariners in particular have let me down countless times over the past 25 years. But this year feels different for some reason that I can't put my finger on.

I'm anxious about a lot of things. Is Woo going to be at full strength? Do we have enough left in us to not only clinch the division, but also secure a first-round bye? What's the score of the Astros' game? Are the Tigers winning or losing? It feels good to re-connect with my first love, ie baseball.

My hope and expectation are that we make it to the World Series. Anything less would be a huge disappointment. As George Allen once said, the future is now.

 

[Steve Hawk]

I would love to see the Mariners beat the Dodgers in the World Series, that is my dream scenario.
We have the Pitching, Offense and Defense to get it done.
I am ALL in!

 

[Double Tribble]

^This. And beating the Yankers in the ALCS. Now THAT would be a statement!

 

[Ozzy]

I think this team is special and makes their first world series

 

[NoGain]

I'm sorry, but talking about the Mariners in the World Series doesn't even compute in my brain. It just says "unable to process the information". I'm completely incapable of even thinking about such a thing till we're right on the very cusp of winning the ALCS. Hell, even if we won the ALCS, I'd be questioning my sanity, if what I was seeing right before my very eyes was true.

The World Series is still just an idle pipe dream to me. Even if we win the division and secure the second playoff bye, I will see reaching the World Series as something akin to climbing Mount Everest barefoot. From the very first playoff game onward, I'm going to be thinking that something will go wrong for us on every pitch.

This is not to say that this season hasn't been an unexpected and remarkable success (at least till this moment), but rather to say that once the regular season is over and the playoffs begin, it's a whole new ballgame, and I remember again that the World Series is an event that other teams participate in, not us.

I wish I wasn't skeptical about such a thing to the point of outright doubt, but I am. There's just too much history rattling around in my brain to feel otherwise:

--The only team in MLB to have never played in a World Series
--A team that hasn't won a division title in five team divisions in 24 years
--A team that has only made the playoffs 5 times in its entire history
--A team that has only made the ALCS 3 times in its entire history
--A team who when they last made it to the ALCS lost to the Yankees 4-1 after a record breaking 116 win season
--etc...

Having said all that, I'll be watching, nervously hanging on every pitch, and, yes, foolishly hoping and dreaming that maybe, just maybe we'll make it to an event that only exists as a figment of my imagination.

Go M's!

 

[gmor]

My "wish list" of teams the Ms face to get to the WS (which is also those teams that concern me less than certain others who are also in the playoffs) are:

ALDS: Tigers
ALCS: Red Sox
WS: Padres

I would love an Ms-Padres WS, though I realize Phillies and Brewers are much more likely on the NL side.

What about the Dodgers? They are starting to get hot.

 

[Maulbert]

My "wish list" of teams the Ms face to get to the WS (which is also those teams that concern me less than certain others who are also in the playoffs) are:

ALDS: Tigers
ALCS: Red Sox
WS: Padres

I would love an Ms-Padres WS, though I realize Phillies and Brewers are much more likely on the NL side.

I'm not worried about the Brewers. It's true, when we faced them they were in the middle of an ABSURD 54-17 run. Since then, though, they're a pedestrian 16-17.

 

[Ruminator]

What about the Dodgers? They are starting to get hot.

Them too!

 

[SonicHawk]

WE'RE WINNING IT ALL BABY.

LONG TIME FIRST TIME

 

[Ozzy]

agreed

 

[Natethegreat]

Haven't the Mariners been pretty bad against top tier teams this year?

 

[MontanaHawk05]

Haven't the Mariners been pretty bad against top tier teams this year?

47-40 against teams over .500, 2nd most wins in the league behind Toronto.

 

[Sperrydogg]

World Series or bust

 

[sutz]

Sky's the limit.

 

[Sperrydogg]

Sky's the limit.

I’m excited to see the dodgers series. Going into the playoffs after sweeping the Asstros, Rockies, and dodgers would have us feeling pretty good

 

[Glasgow Seahawk]

Only weakness i see is possibly the bullpen but if we are playing our 4th, 5th, 6th starters as relief pitchers then it's not a huge deal.