Take Heart

Are the M's done yet?

A lot of fans believe the Mariners are close to being out of the playoff hunt, if not completely out of the race already. Eight games behind the division leaders in early June is a sizable margin, especially when you have one of the worst offenses in the league and a questionable and, at times, highly flammable bullpen. Most NL lineups stack up favorably against the Mariners anemic offense, and they have to plug a pitcher somewhere into their lineup.

The Texas Rangers, the aforementioned division leaders, have been heating up lately offensively as well. Take a look at their monthly splits. Small sample size applies, and a BABIP of .383 looks pretty unsustainable. It suffices to say, however, that the Texas Rangers are a better offensive club than the Seattle Mariners.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (Say that in Spanish; Los Los Angeles Angeles de Anaheim. Sounds like Tommy and Timmy Timmons learned how to speak another language.) never seem to go away with Mike Scioscia at the helm.  They've beaten the M's soundly the last two games, are 10-4 against the M's and A's combined this season, and lost two games to Texas by a combined two runs.  They always seem to find a way to be in the playoff discussion come the end of the season.

As for the Oakland Athletics? I just can't bring myself to be too scared of the Oakland A's. They've been playing better ball than the M's, but the M's have been playing like a team full of 12-year-olds. I admittedly don't know much about their team, so anyone with insider information as to why the A's are better than the M's, please fill me in.

Yes, things look bleak for the Mariners. There are a lot of reasons to look at things and think that Jack Zduriencek should be selling some pieces soon. But I implore all of you ready to leap off of the bandwagon to keep your handholds for just a little while longer. This ship may be taking on water, but it's far from completely sunk. There are some dark spots that may be getting brighter.

Jose Lopez seems to be rounding into form. Take a look at these weekly splits. .349/.370/.581 over the past two weeks. In that same time, he's hit three of his four total homeruns. It may just be a little streak, but good hitting needs to start somewhere.  He's hopefully finding his "power" stroke again, and while the on-base skills still aren't there, he's seen a normalization of his BABIP, which can only mean good things.

Chone Figgins seems to be turning back into Chone Figgins, too. He's been getting on-base at a respectable clip for most of the season, but he's been on a recent tear when it comes to making his way onto the bases. His OBP over the last two weeks has been .426, largely due to a batting average of .308, an increase of nearly 100 points over his season average. That batting average is due in large part to a BABIP of .387. Here are Chone's weekly splits. Chone's career BABIP is .338, so the numbers he's posted over the past few weeks aren't outlandish.

This roster has some holes. First base, catcher, and designated hitter could all use an upgrade. We could all stand for Brandon League to turn into the Brandon League for whom we all thought Jack traded. I'd love to see Michael Saunders get some regular playing time. But I don't think this season has quite hit the spot where we should all give up hope for a successful season. We still have Felix, and Clifton, and Ichiro, and Franklin. If Figgins and Lopez continue their hot ways, and a few other players decide to play like real Major Leaguers, this team just might stand a chance. Call me an optimist, and I could just be grasping at straws here, but I'm not quite ready to stop bailing water and jump over the side. To be honest, I'd rather go down with the ship.