This Time Feels Different

If you are like you lost interest in the team over the last few years as they continually beat us down with predictably disappointing results. So, in case you haven't noticed, the Mariners are fun again. After years of boring and bad baseball the team has changed for the better this year. They are playing games with actual drama. Exciting baseball is fun to watch. The improvement is hard to nail down to just one thing. The team is better in so many ways.

The offense is producing consistently. They are able to score at any time and they are getting contributions throughout the lineup. In years past a late deficit was a guaranteed loss for the M's. They were incapable of generating base runners against teams with even half way decent relief pitchers. This year things feel different and the stats back it up. The M's have scored 78 runs in the 7th, 8th and 9th inning of games this year, which is 31% of their total runs. They already have three walk off wins. They don't get blown out. They only have 4 losses of more than 5 runs all year compared to 23 such losses in 2015 and 17 in 2014. The offenses ability to strike at any time makes the games worth watching, even if you can only catch a couple innings.

The players are much more consistent from top to bottom. The worst hitting starter was supposed to be Leonys Martin. However, the speedy CF already has a career high in HR, a .262 batting average, and has delivered several big key hits. Martin is far from the junk the Mariners teams of yore trotted out on a daily basis. In fact when coupled with his stellar defense he has been an important part of the team.

The other everyday player that people like to pick on is Nori Aoki. The outfielder hasn't hit for a high average or power. He has also been bad at stealing bases, where he has succeeded on only two out of seven tries. However, Aoki has managed to get on base and keep rallies alive. He has a .330 on base percentage showing he isn't an offensive black holes like so many ex-Mariners. It never feels hopeless when Aoki comes up to the plate.

The Mariners season may end up collapsing at some point. They may cough up the division and miss the playoffs yet again. But regardless, the season has already been a success for me. The team has brought back joy to watching baseball. They have created and sustained real buzz into June. They have made watching and talking about baseball, including Mariners baseball, fun again.