ESPN MLB Insider Says Seattle Mariners Are Not Bad, Will Still Have Chance to Make Playoffs

Despite losing eight of their last nine and falling to 4.5 games back of the Houston Astros in the American League West, the Seattle Mariners will still have a chance to compete for a spot in the postseason, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.

He made the comments on the latest edition of the Refuse to Lose podcast:

First ​off, ​they're ​not ​'just ​bad.', ​​Before ​I ​got ​on ​with ​you, ​I ​checked ​Fangraphs, ​the ​website, ​and ​the ​Mariners, ​according ​to ​Fangraphs, statistically, ​have ​a ​45% ​chance ​to ​make ​the ​playoffs, ​which ​means ​that ​they're ​far ​from ​dead. ​And ​if ​they ​were ​to ​have ​a ​great ​weekend ​series, ​then ​that ​probably ​would ​jump ​to ​60%. ​It's ​way ​too ​early ​to ​be ​thinking '​this ​is ​a ​lost ​cause, ​this ​team ​can't ​possibly ​come ​back'. ​ ​I just think, ​especially ​the ​way ​the ​American ​League ​play ​is ​going ​to ​play ​out ​this ​year, ​where ​you ​have ​the ​Tigers ​and ​you ​have ​the ​Yankees ​separating ​themselves ​from ​the ​group, ​and ​then ​you ​have ​a ​bunch ​of ​teams ​in ​the ​middle: ​the ​Jays, ​the ​Rays, ​​the ​Mariners, ​maybe ​Texas ​gets ​back ​in ​this ​conversation. ​I ​don't ​think ​they ​will, ​but ​maybe ​they ​do. ​Then ​all ​those ​teams ​in ​the ​Central, ​the ​Twins, ​the ​Guardians, ​the ​Royals... ​teams ​that ​are, ​generally ​speaking, ​mediocre ​in ​the ​regular ​season, ​are ​going ​to ​have ​an ​opportunity ​to ​make ​the ​playoffs.

You can listen to the full interview with Olney below, as we talk about Bryce Miller's injury, Randy Johnson's double-sided comments on the M's and the Hall of Fame, and much more.

The Mariners are back in play on Friday night when they host the Guardians at T-Mobile Park. First pitch is 6:40 p.m. PT.