ESPN MLB Insider Says Seattle Mariners Are a Good Team, Not Just Out to a Good Start

Entering play on Friday, the Seattle Mariners are 22-14 and in first place in the American League West. The M's are out to their best 36-game start since 2003 and have won nine straight series for the first time since 2001.

The question is, are they actually a good team, or are they just a team that's out to a good start?

We asked that question of ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney on this Thursday's edition of the Refuse to Lose podcast.

Question: Buster, at what point do we start saying that a team is good, vs. just being a team that is out to a good start?

Answer: We ​are ​there, ​and ​it's ​not ​only ​me ​who ​feels ​that ​way. ​When ​you're ​talking ​about ​nearly ​a ​quarter ​of ​the ​season ​being ​played, ​that's ​a ​large ​enough sample ​size, ​I ​think, ​to ​draw ​some ​conclusions. ​And ​look ​around ​baseball. ​The ​Rangers ​just ​fired ​their ​hitting ​coach, ​Donnie ​Ecker, ​because ​of ​what went on ​to ​this ​stage. ​The ​Pittsburgh ​Pirates ​have ​decided this is enough ​sample ​size ​to ​make ​a ​decision ​on ​Derek ​Shelten, ​their ​manager. ​He ​got ​fired ​just ​before ​you ​and ​I ​started ​talking. ​So ​I ​think ​we're ​there, where ​teams ​are ​evaluating ​the ​early ​season ​results ​and ​feeling ​like '​we ​can ​start ​to ​make ​some ​decisions ​based ​on ​what ​we've ​seen.'

You can listen to the full interview with Olney in the player below:

The Mariners will be back in action on Friday night against the Toronto Blue Jays with first pitch coming at 6:40 p.m. PT.