After great start, Mariners' 2024 comes to disappointing end

SEATTLE -- The Mariners capped 2024 by matching their season best with a four-game win streak, their first since early August, which itself speaks to the ups and downs of one of their more disappointing years in recent memory.

To be sure, Seattle (85-77) finished on a high note, winning eight of its final 10 games and going 21-13 after new manager Dan Wilson took over on Aug. 22.

But it proved to be too little too late.

The Mariners finished one game back of the final American League Wild Card spot, though it was essentially two given that the Royals -- who clinched that spot -- owned a tiebreaker. And they were eliminated before it had even played their final series.

Defining moment: Wilson replaces Servais
No one could’ve envisioned that the second-longest-tenured and second-winningest manager in franchise history would be on his way out when the club held a 10-game lead atop the American League West entering June 19. But just 66 days later, and after a 21-33 stretch that was MLB’s worst outside the White Sox, who finished with the worst record in MLB history, Scott Servais was let go.

The transition arrived at a tense time, given how Servais learned of his dismissal, that the club was still clinging to playoff hopes and that it was turning to a successor in Wilson who had no prior managerial experience. Wilson brought levity and patience to the role but also was learning on the fly, and he’s eager to have a full offseason of reflection.

What we learned: September surge leads to optimistic finish
A lineup that had been among MLB’s worst transformed into one of its best in the final month, as the Mariners went 16-10 in September, over which they ranked second in wRC+ (128, where league average is 100), third in runs scored (134), third in OPS (.780), fourth in batting average (.264) and 12th in strikeout rate (23.1%).

“We're stealing more, using more of the field, and we're not really reliant on the home run to score as often as maybe we have been relying on in the past,” president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said.

Best development: Miller, Woo take big leap forward
Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo didn’t just grind through their second full seasons in the Majors, they did so finishing on a huge upswing -- which itself leads to tremendous optimism for their potential, and it essentially assured that neither will be traded this offseason. Dipoto called the notion “Plan Z.”

In the second half, Miller and Woo combined for a 2.54 ERA, a 0.87 WHIP, 145 strikeouts and 24 walks while holding hitters to a .561 OPS across 148 2/3 innings.

“We lean on each other a lot,” Woo said. “We have countless conversations throughout the week and throughout the year. He's one of my best friends.”

Area for improvement: The inconsistent offense
For as solid as the final five weeks were, the lineup’s performance over the first 21 weeks are why the Mariners aren’t playing in October, which directly led to the dismissal of Servais and hitting coach Jarret DeHart in August and newly-hired offensive coordinator and bench coach Brant Brown in late May.

Dipoto and his staff will now be tasked with continuing to unearth more from the returning roster in 2025, as it sounds like there won’t be significant offseason additions.

On the rise: The outfield
Seattle was finally able to consistently roll out the trio of Randy Arozarena, Julio Rodríguez and Victor Robles on a regular basis down the stretch after the latter two cleared various injuries.

The production was promising -- a combined .855 OPS in September -- but also in the field with quite a few flashy plays.

“We have a lot of communication, we're very close,” Arozarena said through an interpreter. “But, I mean, it's that special bond, just knowing that the team has our defense back there.”

Team MVP: C Cal Raleigh; RHP Logan Gilbert
We went with two here given how vital each was to both on-field production and clubhouse leadership. Raleigh was voted the team’s player of the year by the local chapter of the BBWAA, and Gilbert earned the same nod among pitchers.

Raleigh led all catchers in homers for the third straight year with 34 and became first player in franchise history with 100 RBIs. He also logged an MLB-high 1,122 innings behind the plate, easily the most in MLB -- and at the most demanding position. Gilbert logged an MLB-high 208 2/3 innings on the mound while finishing with a 3.23 ERA.