Seattle Mariners: 6 questions about the 2020 season
Kyle Lewis, Seattle Mariners (Photo by Paul Hamaker CC, BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.orgwindex.phpcurid=82750176)
Q5: Do the Mariners have a chance to make the playoffs?
Do they have a chance? Definitely. Because it’s a 60-game season, any team can ride a hot streak for two months. The Seattle Mariners have no shortage of youthful excitement and potential. That gives them a “puncher’s chance.”
Do they have a good chance? Probably not. The flip side to the M’s potential is their inexperience. Many players will be getting an education this year about what it takes to make it in the majors. Consequently, the team is expected by many to finish near the bottom of the American League standings.
Q6: If they don’t make the playoffs, what qualifies as a successful season?
We will have more on this during the week, but the short answer is developing the young players. According to DiPoto, the Mariners are looking at the 2020 and 2021 seasons as one long development period. So if the kids show improvement from the opening of Summer Camp through game 60, and don’t embarrass themselves or the team along the way, the season will be considered a success.
It doesn’t even have to be all of the young guys, just the important ones. Among the players to watch in this regard are Evan White, Kyle Lewis, Shed Long, Jake Fraley, J.P. Crawford, Sheffield, and Dunn. Seattle Mariners Manager Scott Servais won’t lose his job if the team finishes last or wins only a third of their games. He will get canned if the majority of the players mentioned regress this year.
Stay with PNWS this week for the rest of our countdown to opening day series.