Getting obsessed with the Seattle Mariners rebuild
Jarred Kelenic is a cornerstone of the Seattle Mariners rebuild.
The Future
May 30th, 2021, a rare Pacific Northwest sun-filled sky graces the heavens above T-Mobile Park. The Seattle Mariners are about to take the field to conclude their four-game series with Texas. The Rangers, mired in years of their own mediocrity, have started the rebuild process. Public address announcer Tom Hutyler reveals the starting line-up for the third-place Mariners. A position of familiarity amongst most Mariner’s fans but a hopeful exuberance resonates in the hometown dugout.
The ripple effects lead to a starting line-up littered with players Dipoto acquired through the rebuilding process. Ty France leads the team in home runs with a batting average just north of .300, nearly two months in. Rookie-of-the-Year candidate Logan Gilbert toes the rubber as he goes for his third consecutive win. 2020 Gold Glove winners J.P. Crawford and Evan White continue to make strides with their bats. Not to mention the season’s feel-good story, Mitch Haniger is a contender for comeback player of the year.
It is not all good news; Kyle Lewis left his bat somewhere between August and September of last year, though he shows signs of a pending breakout. Also, second base continues to be a position of volatility. Even with those speed bumps, hope springs eternal. Jarred Kelenic plays in his nineteenth game since arriving in the Majors up from Tacoma. The Phenom takes his spot in left field, giving all Mariner fans a reason to obsess about the rebuild.
The Ripples Will Change Soon
Dipoto will soon be in a position where the M’s core talent will need an extra boost to compete for the playoffs and beyond. The most comparable models at present are the Braves and Padres. Both teams amassed a stable of pitching prospects littered with upper-tier offensive talent. From there, it’s on Dipoto to make additions, and that is likely to happen during the 2021 offseason unless this young Mariners team forces the GM’s hand by being successful this year.
Eventually, you will hear new names and forget about prospects that never materialized. Study the ripple effects, and you’ll find plenty of reasons to obsess over the Seattle Mariners rebuild.
Lifelong Seattle sports fan Joe Swenson is a published author, as well as a writer, producer, and director at Broken Arts Entertainment.