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Hello and welcome back to FanPost Friday and huuuboy what a Friday it is! First, some mood music:
Okay, take it away, Sarah Langs:
LOOK AT THE TOP OF THE AL WEST
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) September 20, 2023
This is the 1st time that 3 teams in the same division were all within half a game or fewer of first place with all having 10 games or fewer left to play, since divisions began (1969)
h/t @EliasSports pic.twitter.com/b7PqtEk63R
That’s right, the 2023 Seattle Mariners are in unprecedented territory. We’re about to find out how it feels to live through what is essentially a 10-game “play-in” tournament versus the two other best teams in the AL West in order to make the actual MLB postseason.
There’s been a bit on Twitter the last few years about “being tired of living through historical events” and that’s what this situation reminds me of, except I am not tired of it at all (“it” being the Mariners being contenders). In fact, I welcome it.
How did this happen? Well, the new “one true schedule” model made it so the Mariners didn’t have to play the Rangers and Astros 20+ times, and vice versa for those teams playing the Mariners. So, the three best teams in the division didn’t just beat the crap out of each other all season and are therefore neck-and-neck at the end of the season. Hat tip to the MLB schedulers who made the call to have the Mariners play two series versus the Rangers and one series versus the Astros at the end of the season. You are the true agents of chaos (how did they know???).
The most famous example of a unprecedented Mariners stretch run into the playoffs is, of course, the 1995 Mariners. That run required a catastrophic meltdown by the California Angels while the Mariners kept on winning enough games to force a tie-breaker at the end of the regular season. There were more factors at play, such as the fact that the Mariners were fighting to win voter support for a new stadium and the sheer fact that the Mariners had never made the playoffs and this was only their 3rd winning season since 1977.
Even given all that, I would wager to say that this current scenario has potential to be even more bonkers if it ends in the Mariners winning the division. It certainly has an even greater chance for chaos and a dramatic ending as three teams in the division all vie for a playoff spot (and did I mention the other AL Wild Card contenders, Tampa Bay and Toronto, are also playing six games head-to-head in the 10 days?) To have three teams enter and only one team takes the whole division? It’s terrifying and insanely exciting to me.
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SO! I’d like us all to remember a few things as fans during the next 10 days.
- Remember, the players are beyond gassed at this point. Surely everyone has a nagging injury or six at this point, Ty France can barely walk, and the pitchers are exhausted. Yes, they are well-paid professionals, but they are also humans beings faced with an incredibly daunting task. Have some empathy.
- The team is flawed, which is not the fault of the players or coaches. It has been dealing with black holes in the lineup all season and the front office has rearranged the deck chairs as best they can with the resources they’ve been allotted by ownership. Just remember, if the team had spent more wisely and aggressively in the 2021 and 2022 offseasons (namely signing Marcus Semien for starters), they would be in much better shape than they are now. This is the number one reason why this 10-game stretch feels like such a huge challenge. Remember that when assigning blame.
- Stretch-run and playoff fandom can feel like emotional labor. Both Isabelle and I wrote about this last year. If the Mariners hadn’t been fully living in your head rent-free before this point in the season, they sure as hell are now. Remember, this is a sport. It’s a hobby. It’s meant to be an escape from the sometimes repetitive dreariness of everyday life. If it’s too much and it’s not serving you anymore or not bringing you joy, it’s okay to step away and take breaks. Pace yourself. Every fanbase but one will feel pain at the end of this. (“It’s designed to break your heart” etc., etc.)
Ultimately, if given the choice between this current insanely stressful and difficult scenario or being completely out of the race by mid-June, I will take this every time. Let’s hit some polls!
Poll
In next 10 games, how many wins secures a divisional title for the Mariners?
This poll is closed
-
0%
5 or fewer
(5 votes) -
18%
6
(99 votes) -
68%
7
(367 votes) -
11%
8 or more
(63 votes)
Poll
In next 10 games, how many wins will it take to secure a Wild Card spot for the Mariners?
This poll is closed
-
0%
4 or less
(4 votes) -
25%
5
(135 votes) -
56%
6
(298 votes) -
6%
7
(32 votes) -
0%
8 or more
(5 votes) -
10%
I have no f*cking idea
(55 votes)
Poll
Will the Mariners pull off a sweep in any of these series?
This poll is closed
-
2%
Yes, the 3-game road series vs the Texas Rangers
(15 votes) -
18%
Yes, the 3-game home series vs the Houston Astros
(92 votes) -
4%
Yes, the 4-game home series vs the Texas Rangers
(21 votes) -
17%
Yes, ha ha, multiple sweeps, ha ha!
(90 votes) -
57%
No sweeps
(293 votes)
Poll
What Mariners player collects the most hits in next 10 games?
This poll is closed
-
23%
J.P. Crawford
(122 votes) -
50%
Julio Rodríguez
(258 votes) -
3%
Cal Raleigh
(16 votes) -
5%
Teoscar Hernández
(28 votes) -
1%
Eugenio Suárez
(10 votes) -
12%
Jarred Kelenic
(62 votes) -
0%
Ty France
(5 votes) -
1%
Dominic Canzone
(7 votes) -
0%
Josh Rojas
(0 votes) -
0%
Mike Ford
(3 votes) -
0%
Other
(2 votes)
Poll
What Mariners pitcher collects the most strikeouts in next 10 games?
This poll is closed
-
4%
Bryce Miller
(23 votes) -
15%
Logan Gilbert
(76 votes) -
2%
Bryan Woo
(11 votes) -
50%
Luis Castillo
(250 votes) -
18%
George Kirby
(92 votes) -
2%
Andrés Muñoz
(13 votes) -
4%
Matt Brash
(22 votes) -
0%
Justin Topa
(4 votes) -
0%
Other
(0 votes)
Lastly, if you’re in the Seattle area and would rather freak out about the Mariners alongside a bunch of like-minded individuals, come out to our LL watch party at Growler Guys on Lake City Way on Saturday!
Come out this Saturday to our watch party at Growler Guys! https://t.co/cQSgN4mym9
— Lookout Landing (@LookoutLanding) September 19, 2023
All right, that’s it for this week. Can’t wait to see where we’re at next Friday. Hold onto your butts, remember to hydrate, and LET’S FUCKING GO MARINERS.
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