The Mariners will open up the postseason on Saturday afternoon against either the Cleveland Guardians or the Detroit Tigers, and ESPN's insider believes the M's will have a great chance at something special this October.
ESPN MLB Insider Jeff Passan had high praise for the Seattle Mariners on Thursday morning during an appearance with Brock & Salk on Seattle Sports 710.
While Passan noted that a future American League Championship Series would be difficult, he also feels like the Mariners are the favorite heading into the American League Division Series and that they have a roster capable of winning the World Series.
Most pundits agree that the Mariners have all the pieces necessary to win, and they have an advantageous route to the World Series as well, it's just about executing on the field.
Offense
After acquiring Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor at the trade deadline, the M's have the deepest lineup they've assembled in quite some time. They were third in baseball in home runs and tied for ninth in runs scored. Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, Randy Arozarena, Jorge Polanco and Suarez each hit more than 25 home runs this season, with Raleigh's 60 leading baseball.
While the M's do have a propensity to strike out, they also have the ability to change a game in one swing.
Starting rotation
On paper, the Mariners' rotation has as good, or better, a resume than any in the playoff field. Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo and Luis Castillo all have strikeout stuff and are generally reliable strike throwers. They all feature plus fastballs and Gilbert, Kirby and Castillo all have playoff experience.
The question is, is Woo healthy? He missed his final start of the season with right pec inflammation and he figures not to be ready to pitch until Game 3, if he is at all.
Bullpen
This is the red flag for the M's. The bullpen is not particularly deep, with Andres Munoz, Matt Brash, Gabe Speier and Eduard Bazardo the real guys that Dan Wilson trusts. However, Bazardo faltered in his final three games while Munoz faltered in his last one. Both pitchers struggled in the team's intrasquad scrimmage on Wednesday afternoon.
While we typically see postseason managers be quick to go to the bullpen, it feels like Wilson will likely lean on his starters.
Up next
The Mariners have another scrimmage on Thursday and they'll await the winner of Cleveland and Detroit for Saturday.
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