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What Happens If the Mariners Continue to Struggle

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports
By Daniel Graham | Last updated Apr 8, 2026 10:47 PM ET

As the first month of the MLB season continues, the Seattle Mariners’ offense continues to struggle. They have a 4-8 record and have scored more than three runs in only three of their first 12 games. They are having significant trouble hitting with runners in scoring position. With the extended struggles, some changes must occur eventually, but what will they be?

Mariners in Extended Struggle to Start Season

The Mariners’ team batting average right now is .188. That is the lowest figure in MLB. Only three players on the team are batting over .250. The pitching staff, for the most part, is doing its job. But even when a Mariners pitcher has a good outing, they’re getting little run support, which mostly results in losses that should be wins. You cannot win baseball games without run support. The defense is lackluster. Randy Arozarena in left struggles at times tracking balls, and there have been many errors in the infield, and mental lapses on the base paths. As a team, Seattle’s strikeout percentage is 26.5%. The league average right now is 20%-22%.

Oof. Randy. pic.twitter.com/gSDJKemcTC

— SoDo Mojo (@SodoMojoFS) April 7, 2026

New and Familiar Problems

Some of these issues the team is having are new, and some of them are ones that we have seen before. The familiar problems are easy to spot. The strikeouts have always been an issue with Seattle but they have had the home runs to balance that out. Julio Rodríguez is known for having slow starts with the bat, so it is not surprising to see another one, but it is always difficult to see him in a funk offensively. Cal Raleigh struggling early at the plate the way he has is something Mariners fans haven’t seen, at least not like this. Josh Naylor was fantastic for the M’s at the end of the season last year and into the postseason, so seeing him struggle to start a season is new for Seattle.

What Could Happen

There could be a few ways to help improve the Mariners’ early struggles. First and foremost is switching up the batting order. Some of Dan Wilson’s managerial decisions have been controversial, using the same formula and expecting a different outcome. The platooning that they love to do does not seem to help. The best hitters need to play, no matter if a lefty or righty is pitching. Brendan Donovan should be leading off every game. He is batting .343 with three home runs and is the most consistent batter to get on base. Rob Refsnyder should not be leading off after seeing him start the season 0-for-13, even if there is a lefty pitching. The Mariners have great tools. They just need to use them correctly.

For a team that missed the World Series by one game last year, this is not what you want to see from the Mariners to start the season. Although their best hitters are struggling, everyone knows that this won’t last forever, and they will pick it up eventually. The thing that is troubling, however, is that many of the issues from last year continue to hurt the team. The Mariners need to figure out what kind of team they are, what works best, and use that consistently. Ultimately, if they continue to struggle as they have, there will be a lot of losses, making it tough to win a second consecutive division title.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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