2023 Seattle Mariners are in a good place, is it good enough?
Ed Stein
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On the eve of the 2023 season, the Seattle Mariners feel good about their team. But have they done enough to close the gap on the A.L.’s top teams?
The Seattle Mariners are about to wrap up spring training. As they break camp, the team is in a good place.
They have everything they need for a successful 2023 season, strong starting pitching, a deep bullpen, solid defense, a quality batting order, and depth.
Additionally, last season provided the M’s with both a taste of the postseason as well as a hunger for more. The rest of the American League won’t roll over for Seattle the M’s, so do they have enough?
Faith from above
During his show on 710 ESPN, Seattle Mariners General Manager Jerry Dipoto talked about how happy he is with the makeup of this year’s squad.
“This is the most enjoyable spring training we ever had.”
In other words, the roster is mostly set, except for maybe a battle for the final bullpen spot at stake. With that out of the way, Seattle can work on maximizing the talent they have to win games instead of figuring out who will start in right field.
Right Mindset
A big part of being a winner is believing you are a winner. There doesn’t seem to be a shortage of confidence in Peoria these days.
“We’re good, we know we’re good, the teams around us believe we’re good, and our players carry themselves like they know. (Our players) want there to be expectations, and they have those amongst themselves, and they carry themselves with confidence.”
Confidence and talent aren’t the only factors a winner needs. Hard work is also a requirement. Again, Dipoto is happy with the effort so far.
And while breaking the longest playoff drought in American sports last year was great, it was the start, not the end. The Seattle Mariners are focused on taking the next steps forward.
“We made it to the postseason, that’s done, and now we’re focused on this one (2023).”