Seattle Mariners 2022 Season Preview

The last time the Seattle Mariners Baseball team went to the MLB playoffs was all the way back in 2001, the year I was born. They won a record 116 games that season and unfortunately lost in the ALCS to the Yankees (Who blew it in the world series that year btw) Ever since that record breaking season, the M's have faced more failure than success. They have only had eight seasons with a record over .500 during the span of the last 20 years and even though those seemed like successful seasons, the playoffs were still missed. With the hirings of manager Scott Servais and general manager Jerry Dipoto before the 2016 season, the duo have brought a lot of potential to the Mariners and this could be the year where we see it all start really coming together.

Coming in with super low expectations, the 2021 Mariners finished the year with a 90-72 record, playing 161 games and 8 innings of meaningful baseball before being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. It was the first time in a long time that Mariners baseball was exciting to watch. Not only did it get Seattle excited, it got the whole country excited. People on social media from different states and different parts of the country were acknowledging the M's and rooting for them to break the drought. Some even started coming the M's "America's Team"

During the offseason, the Mariners added reigning American league Cy Young winner Robbie Ray to lead the pitching staff and picked up 2021 Allstars Adam Frazier and Jessie Winker along with former all star, Eugenio Suarez to boost the offense, the excitement for Mariners baseball coming into the 2022 season continued to grow.

With young stars Jarred Kelenic, Cal Raleigh and Logan Gilbert starting their first full season, veterans Ty France, Mitch Haniger, JP Crawford and Marco Gonzalez looking to build off of career years and a bullpen that stole the show last season, there is so much to look forward to in 2022 for Seattle baseball and it is going to be a very fun summer watching them.

And how could I forget the talent that is still to come. Julio Rodriguez, the number three prospect in the whole sport has made the opening day roster and so far, he has been so fun to watch. Once the umpires stop calling him out on pitches way outside the strike zone, his confidence is gonna come back up and he is gonna become the superstar he is destined to be. Pitcher Matt Brash dominated in his first career start and has one of the best sliders i've ever seen. Down in the minor leagues and knocking on the door are George Kirby, who I personally think well be our ace in a few years and infielder Noelvi Marte, our future third basemen will both be in the bigs before you know it and all the pieces that Servais and Dipoto signed, traded and drafted will be on the field, bringing the M's back to the playoffs.

Don't sleep on this team this summer, they're gonna be making a lot of noise and the league isn't ready for it.