Sports Illustrated - USA (2020 - Spring)

61

NO TEAM IN major U.S. pro sports has gone

longer than the Mariners without making the

playoffs. Not the Cleveland Browns, not the

Sacramento Kings, not the Buffalo Sabres. It’s

not entirely fair that the drought has lasted 18

years: The Mariners had two 93-win seasons

and five others of 85 or more, any of which

might have earned a postseason berth. They

haven’t been a Marlins-like laughingstock—in

fact, they had two of the century’s signature

stars in Ichiro Suzuki and Félix Hernández.

Both Ichiro and the King are gone now,

the former into retirement (for real this time,

after playing his final game last March at

age 45) and the latter to Atlanta to salvage

his career. In addition to going through a

true rebuild for the first time in a decade,

the M’s have lost their familiar identity. They

can’t sell wins, and they can’t sell legends.

What they can sell is the future, with

two top-25 prospects in outfielders Julio

Rodriguez and Jarred Kelenic. Neither is

likely to play in Seattle this year, but no team

has a better pair of minor league hitters.

Up-and-comers who will contribute in 2020

include first baseman Evan White (.838

OPS in Double A) and a trio who had cups

of coffee in ’19: outfielder Kyle Lewis, lefty

Justus Sheffield and righty Justin Dunn.

After years of poor drafting and

development, Seattle’s staff—aside from

Marco Gonzales—is among MLB’s worst.

The Opening Day roster will likely include

just two pitchers, reliever Dan Altavilla and

starter Taijuan Walker, developed by the team.

(The oft-injured Walker, traded to Arizona

in ’16, came back to Seattle in February.)

Should veterans like Walker or righty Kendall

Graveman flourish, GM Jerry Dipoto will look

to cash them in for prospects. For another year

the playoffs remain out of reach in Seattle,

where the rebuilding has begun.

After a 13–2 start in ’19, Seattle finished with just 68 wins. And this team—with a talent-

starved rotation and question marks surrounding its best hitters—isn’t starting 13–2.

OVER

UNDER 67.5

SHED

| -0.1 WAR

MOVING DOWN

MITCH

HANIGER

109 OPS+ | 1.4 WAR

The All-Star

outfielder, who

missed most

of ’19 due to

a ruptured

testicle,

had sports

hernia and

microdiscectomy

surgeries

this spring.

| CF | The word you’re looking for is

ROBERT BECK

After years of poor drafting

and development, Seattle’s

staff—aside from Gonzales—is

among MLB’s worst.