Mariners' fall from grace is stunning

The Seattle Mariners' fall from grace has been stunning after being one win away from advancing to their first World Series last October. 

At 4-9 and riding a five-game losing streak, the Mariners offense has been the cause of their woes, and needs to figure things out before the calendar turns to May. 

The Mariners offense is the worst in Major League Baseball

The Mariners offense out of the gate has hit a rut, as it has the worst OPS (.581) and the worst team batting average (.184) in Major League Baseball. The Chicago White Sox (OPS of .614) and the Los Angeles Angels (batting average of .201), as bad as they are, are not as bad as the Mariners have proved to be.

Adding to the Mariners' struggles, three of the biggest hitters in their lineup — catcher Cal Raleigh (.481 OPS), center fielder Julio Rodriguez (.393) and first baseman Josh Naylor (.277) — have an OPS under .500. The Mariners have also shown little discipline at the plate, with the second-most strikeouts (132) in baseball. 

Raleigh’s shocking start to the season is more perplexing after finishing second to New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge in the MVP voting. In 13 games, Raleigh has 20 strikeouts, which are the second most in baseball behind Minnesota Twins right fielder Matt Wallner (25). 

The Home Run Derby champion (2025) only has one home run on the season after setting a record for catchers last season, hitting 60 home runs. Raleigh’s 60 home runs are also the most by a switch-hitter, breaking the record of Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle (54 in 1961).

The Mariners pitching staff has been a completely different story

Despite the struggles on offense, the Mariners pitching staff has not blinked an eye. It ranks third in baseball in ERA (2.62) and first in innings pitched (116.2). 

The Mariners starting rotation continued to show why it is one of the best in baseball, having the sixth-best ERA (2.92) while also leading in innings pitched (77.0). Right-hander Bryan Woo has proved to be the Mariners' best starter, leading the team in ERA (1.50), second in innings pitched (18.0) and has not allowed a home run, while right-handers George Kirby (three) and Logan Gilbert (one) have.