It’s official, folks, and yeah, it stings. The Seattle Mariners are out. The Rangers absolutely slammed the door shut on our playoff hopes yesterday, clocking a 3-1 win over the Mets that officially eliminated us. And just to pour salt in the wound, our M’s couldn’t even grab a win themselves, falling 6-4 to the Angels. So, what now? With the season wrapping up, our focus immediately shifts to what this final series truly means for the Emerald City.
What’s Left For Our M’s In This Final Stretch?
Look, it’s not all doom and gloom on the field, even if the playoff dream is dead. We saw infielder Brock Rodden hit the injured list with patella tendon inflammation, a bummer, but it opened the door for Leo Rivas to get called up for this final series. We need to see what he brings. On the bright side, remember Josh Hader’s bullpen imploding against our M’s recently? Chandler Rome at The Athletic pointed out how shaky that Astros bullpen truly is heading into their own postseason. So, we’re not the only ones with issues, right? Still, tough news for Josh Naylor, who Kate Preusser talked to about his truly disappointing first full season as a Seattle Mariner. You gotta hope he can shake that off and come back firing next year.
Around The League: 100 MPH Fastballs And Changing Batting Averages
Around the league, things are wild. Can you believe Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Cubs outfielder, just became the 7th player EVER to join the 40-40 club? That’s insane! The White Sox clinched their playoff ticket with a win over the Royals, but don’t expect to see Luis Castillo on their playoff roster. He’s on the injured list with a shoulder injury. Phillies lefty Jesús Luzardo is already throwing bullpen sessions and feeling good, so he might be back for the postseason. Speaking of crazy, the amount of 100 MPH+ pitches thrown this year is THREE TIMES what it was just five years ago! Back in 2021, we saw 1,829 of them, this year? A whopping 5,523! Batters are hitting a measly .178 against that heat. Joey Votto even said guys who used to hit .300 are now hitting .240, .250 because of how the game’s changed. It really makes you wonder about the strategy moving forward, doesn’t it?
So, yeah, this final series for our M’s? It’s not about making the playoffs anymore. It’s all about heart. It’s about showing the Emerald City what kind of team we’re gonna be in 2027. We need to see who’s hungry, who’s ready to fight for their spot, and who wants to make sure we’re not having this same conversation next September. Let’s finish strong and give us something to look forward to, even if it’s just a glimpse.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Lookout Landing.
Leave a Reply