STAYING TRUE TO THE BLUE

By Jordana King

With Spring Training coming to a close, baseball fans across the country are ready for Opening Day. In particular, fans in Seattle have a newfound anticipation for the season to kickoff. Although the 2022 Mariners season came to an abrupt end, it was a whirlwind of excitement, heartbreak, and prosperity. While some dwell on their eighteen-inning loss to end the season, many are pondering: has postseason baseball found a home in Seattle?

Heading into the all-star week in July of 2022, the team had acquired fifteen wins in a row. This was around the time the Mariners started drawing attention from baseball fans and critics across the country. The team’s notable winning streak was the first shred of hope for long-time Mariners fans who hadn’t seen their team in the playoffs for over two decades. In addition, rising star Julio Rodriquez had been elected to participate in both the all-star game and home run derby as a rookie. And he isn’t the only star on the rise for Seattle. Cal Raleigh, Ty France, and Eugeno Suarez provided big bats in the lineup for the team last season. After extending contracts with both Rodriguez and ace pitcher Luis Castillo, the Mariners are set up for success.

As the end of September neared, it became increasingly evident that Seattle would end their playoff drought. According to Garfield high-school student Nate Butcher, “There’s a lot of attention [coming] to baseball in Seattle right now, there’s so much potential. We’ve not been a baseball city for a long time.”

This is true; for the past couple decades, the Seahawks have dominated the sports headlines in Seattle. Once the Mariners had officially clinched the second wild card spot last season, it seemed as though the team had finally gained loyalty among Seattle sports fans.

Going into the wildcard against Toronto in October of 2022, the Mariners were the clear underdogs. Winning that series meant that they would get to bring playoff baseball back to Seattle for game three of the Amwerican League Division Series (ALDS) against the Astros. After losing the first two games of the ALDS in Houston, the Mariners returned home to a sold-out crowd who hadn’t seen playoff baseball for twenty-one years. After eighteen innings of scoreless baseball, the Astros came out on top with a final score of one to nothing. Although this may have been a disappointing end to the 2022 season, it certainly gave fans the indication that something big is brewing in Seattle. “We have the future. It’s there and I can see it happening, and it’s really exciting,” Butcher said.

What really separates the Mariners from other ball clubs is their relentlessness and pure joy for the game. The team’s slogan “good vibes only” isn’t just for show. The Mariners are a group of professional baseball players enjoying themselves like they’re back in little league — this is clear when they huddle into their post-win dance circle. Following the loss of their final game, the sold out crowd joined together in a chorus of “thank-you Mariners’’, a bittersweet moment symbolizing the significance of the 2022 season for Seattle.

The Mariners will open their 2023 season at home against the Cleveland Guardians on March 30th. Although they haven’t announced their starting pitcher for opening day, one of Seattle’s strong points last year was their pitching staff. The roster has only grown stronger over the offseason, so fans should be excited to watch their team this year. After an exciting playoff run in 2022 the collective goal for the Mariners is simple: Seattle’s first World Series title.