How Seattle Mariners can separate themselves in AL

After three weeks of struggles dropped the team below .500, the Seattle Mariners are back on track.

The M’s have won eight of 11 games since falling 33-34 on June 11. At 41-37 currently, they hold the final AL wild card berth as the calendar approaches July.

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Seattle is in the middle of a jumbled picture in the AL where all but three teams are still within 4 1/2 games of a playoff spot, which includes five teams below .500. It’s a bit different than what’s going on in the NL where the team holding the final wild card spot is nine games over .500 and every team with a losing record is at least 6 1/2 games back.

Because of how closely the AL is bunched up at this point, the Mariners have real opportunity on the horizon, longtime ESPN MLB insider Buster Olney told Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk on Wednesday.

“At the trade deadline, these teams are all so close together in the American League, you can separate yourself with the right deals, with the right moves, at the right time,” Olney said.

The Mariners have a 1 1/2-game cushion for their wild card spot right now, and they don’t have a long ways to go to catch the teams in front of them. The Blue Jays are only one game in front in the second wild card spot and the Rays 2 1/2 games up in the first position. Seattle also sits 4 1/2 games behind the Astros for first place in the AL West.

If the Mariners are able to maintain where they stand or climb further up the standings, Olney likes their chances in the playoffs.

“I do think I share your vision about the Mariners having potential, especially in a short series in October where they could distinguish themselves against a team – whether it is the Yankees, the Rays, the Detroit Tigers – because of the dominance of the rotation,” Olney said. “And again, you have a guy, Cal Raleigh’s adjusted OPS+ right now is 202 (100 is league average). And to put that into perspective, that’s higher than anything Johnny Bench ever did, higher than (Yogi) Berra, (Roy) Campanella, Gary Carter, Mike Piazza, up and down the line. He’s having the greatest season ever for a catcher.”

Here the full conversation at this link or in the audio player in this story. Listen to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

How Seattle Mariners can separate themselves in AL

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