Seattle Mariners have been eliminated from playoff contention

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SEATTLE, WA – JULY 06: Dylan Moore #25 of the Seattle Mariners reacts after finishing the third inning during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at T-Mobile Park on July 6, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. (Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)

The Seattle Mariners will once again be a spectator in the MLB postseason after officially being eliminated from the playoffs on Thursday afternoon.

Wins by the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals hurt the postseason chances of a team that once held a 10-game lead in the AL West in mid-June. The Houston Astros clinched their fourth straight AL West title with a win over the Mariners on Tuesday night, and Thursday’s results eliminated the Mariners from Wild Card contention.

Since holding the 10-game division lead on June 18, the Mariners have gone 38-46, the third-worst record in the American League. Only the Los Angeles Angels and Chicago White Sox have lost more games during that time.

The collapse was fueled primarily by a woefully anemic offense that couldn’t provide enough support to one of baseball’s best starting lineups. The Mariners have the second-worst batting average (.224) and lead all of baseball in strikeouts (1,603). With another strikeout in the last three games, the Mariners set a new franchise record for strikeouts in a single season, surpassing their previous record set last season.

Meanwhile, the Mariners led the entire MLB in good starts (six innings pitched, three runs or fewer allowed) with 92, 13 more than their closest competitor, the Philadelphia Phillies. The Mariners have lost 31 of their rotation’s 92 good starts.

While the offense was the main reason for the loss, injuries to the bullpen were also piling up: Matt Brash missed the entire season, Gregory Santos missed most of the year, Gabe Speier was out for long stretches, and more.

Midseason relegation led to the Mariners firing manager Scott Servais and meeting coach Jarret DeHart in August, with Dan Wilson installed as the new manager. The Mariners are 18-13 since the leadership change and have seen an uptick in their offense over the last month, but it hasn’t been enough to overcome their summer free fall.

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