ANALYSIS: Which Player Needs to Show up in Second Half For Seattle Mariners?

The Seattle Mariners will head into the second half of the season with a decent amount of momentum on its side.

The Mariners are coming off a series sweep against the Detroit Tigers, have the final American League Wild Card spot by 1.5 games and are five games behind the Houston Astros in the AL West.

Seattle will begin the second half against Houston in Game 1 of a three-game series at 7:10 p.m. PT on Friday at T-Mobile Park.

The Mariners will need several players to step up or maintain form during the second half of the season if they want to make the playoffs.

Several players, including Julio Rodriguez, Randy Arozarena and Jorge Polanco, started to heat up for Seattle before the All-Star Break.

Rodriguez's second half will likely be the one most analysts and fans focus on. In his previous three years in the majors, Rodriguez has started the season slow but has heated up in the second half.

Rodriguez's second half might be most important to the success of the club, but there's another M's outfielder who could wind up the team's x-factor: Dominic Canzone.

Unlike Rodriguez, Canzone's second half isn't about heating up or improving — it's about maintaining.

Canzone was recalled from the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers on June 9 and he's in the middle of his best stretch since making his major league debut in 2023. In 30 games this season, he's scored 11 times and has hit five doubles and six home runs with 10 RBIs. He's slashed .319/.340/.564 with a .904 OPS. He's cut down his strikeout numbers significantly while maintaining the power that's made him such an intriguing prospect.