Commentary: Mariners stack up with MLB’s best, but can they survive baseball’s chaos?

SEATTLE – After the game Saturday, a few hundred Christians united along the first base line at T-Mobile Park to sing praise to the Man Upstairs as part of the Mariners’ Faith and Family Day. Can’t help but wonder if the rest of the team’s fan base has been feeling equally religious of late. A few days earlier, after all, their prayers had been answered.

In perhaps the most significant deal before last Thursday’s trade deadline, the Mariners acquired former Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez, whose 36 home runs ranks fifth in MLB. This came in addition to picking up first baseman and fellow slugger Josh Naylor, who has 12 home runs this year after hitting 31 in 2024. Throw in reliever Caleb Ferguson, and you’ve got a team that ESPN’s chief baseball writer Buster Olney called the best in the American League.

Hey, maybe so. But the past couple days have reminded us that nothing is inevitable – not a pennant, not a division crown, not even a playoff berth.

This isn’t an attempt to sour the work of Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto, who deserves credit for making this squad a legitimate World Series contender. Given the relatively modest sacrifice the organization made in regards to prospects, these transactions are worthy of all the celebration within the fan base and beyond.

But baseball is funny like that. Big names at the deadline don’t always equate to big leaps in the standings. If you believe in WAR, the Mariners (59-53) – who trail the Astros by three and a half games in the American League West – got two, maybe three wins better with these trades. And WAR seems like the appropriate figure here, because this season is gonna be a battle to the end.

Saturday, Texas beat Seattle 6-4 in an 11-inning contest that was tied 2-2 through nine. The most prominent Mariner highlight came when leadoff hitter Randy Arozarena socked a two-run home run in the bottom of the 10th to tie the score at 4-all. But those 10th-inning yells turned into 11th-inning yowls when the Rangers took a two-run lead thanks to three straight singles off pitcher Casey Legumina.

Seattle’s lead over Texas (58-54) for the final wild card spot is now one game. Had Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford not hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth of Friday’s 4-3 win, it might be Seattle who’d be out of the playoff picture. In short: The midseason help – particularly in the lineup – is auspicious. It’s not a panacea.

“It’s baseball, so you gotta go out and do it. You can’t just talk about it, you gotta actually do and it and execute it, and our guys have been,” said Mariners manager Dan Wilson, who’s team is 2-1 since acquiring Suárez. “This is a team that has a very deep lineup like we’ve talked about. I definitely love the way we stack up going forward.”

Both Crawford and Luis Castillo – the Mariners’ starting pitcher Saturday – are equally bullish on the new roster.

In response to a question about the clubhouse vibes Saturday morning, J.P. said “It’s immaculate in here right now. Everyone has a smile on their face. Everyone enjoys coming to the field every day. It’s only been a couple of days so I can’t imagine what a month or two is going to look like in here.”

And through an interpreter after the game, Castillo said the following about the depth of the batting order: “It’s big. You look at a lineup like that and it changes your mentality and you’re more positive having a lineup like that. Now if you come in and do your job you have these guys having your back.”

It has to be comforting when a player such as Cal Raleigh – the Mariners catcher with an MLB-leading 42 homers – is around every day. Same with center fielder Julio Rodríguez, who’s mashed five home runs since the All-Star break. Arozarena, Suárez, Naylor. The Mariners are a pitching-dominant team in the least hitter-friendly park in MLB, and are still 11th in the league OPS.

Remember when the Braves were on the cusp of a wild-card spot in 2021 before going all-in at the deadline? They won the World Series. The Rangers were in a similar position two years ago, made a deadline splash and won the whole shebang as well.

But there were also the 2023 Angels, who were 56-51 at the deadline before mortgaging their future in hopes of making the playoffs and keeping Shohei Ohtani. They finished the season 73-89. You just don’t know in this sport.

There were 37,226 fans in attendance at T-Mobile Park Saturday. They’re going to keep packing the stadium all season. The roster is good enough to warrant that.

But don’t expect smooth sailing. It’s going to be chaos for the next two months. The good news is that the M’s are more equipped for that chaos than anyone could have hoped for. Doesn’t mean a prayer or two would hurt.