SEATTLE — Technically speaking, we’re much further than “halfway” through the 2026 MLB regular season.
The Mariners sit at 48-49, or 97 games into a 162 matchup marathon.
So 97 down, 65 games to go.
Perhaps it’s fitting that the so-called second half of the season is so much shorter than the perceived beginning because the race to the home stretch is on, with the Mariners limping toward the finish line, losing five of six heading into the break.
Despite all that, and a first half full of frustration and injuries, the M’s are squarely in the playoff race, trailing Texas by 1.5 games in the AL West.
That means the keys to turn it around and finally play to this team’s potential is of the utmost importance with the return to action this weekend. And of course, what promises to be a condensed trading deadline window.
Here are three keys for finishing strong:
Making the right moves
Obvious, and easier said than done.
But the reality is that we’re just over two weeks from the trade deadline and the moves have been minimal.
The reason? So many teams still have realistic playoff hopes with the expanded structure.
You can look at the AL West as proof of that, but even a team like Toronto which is last in the AL East and yet, just 2.5 games out of the Wild Card.
The usual sellers don’t exactly know if they should sell yet. Heck, the rumors around the Tigers and Tarik Skubal are flowing for good reason, but the Tigers at 44-52 are still just 3.5 games out of the Wild Card.
In short, expect the first couple of days of August to be chaotic.
So, for the Mariners, you have to sift through who actually wants to sell, then beat out other teams for the players you want.
It’s no secret, the Mariners could very much use some high-leverage arms for the bullpen and a right-handed bat (more on that in a minute).
That’s the play, right?
But, as stated, the road to get there won’t be easy. It will be a competition and a fight to the finish. Which means the Mariners could miss out on their top targets or perhaps have to pay more.
It’s doable with a plethora of starting pitching and prospects, but overpaying has never been the Mariner way.
It’ll be interesting with such a unique window for this talented group to see what the front office does and what lengths they go to in order to put this team in a position for a run back to the playoffs.
What haven’t you tried yet?
The Mariners, it would seem, have tried everything to get consistent right-handed hitting. This means signing new players off such a Buddy Kennedy to try and generate any sort of pop.
But maybe there’s an answer within.
Now, understanding the Mariners infield is loaded with talent. J.P. Crawford has moved to third, Colt Emerson is the shortstop of the present and future, ditto for Cole Young at second base.
But while the Mariners were struggling down the stretch, there’s been an interesting story developing in Triple-A Tacoma.
Ryan Bliss.
Bliss has already proven his fielding and defensive abilities. In just a couple of games in June, he made electrifying, and in some cases, game-altering, defensive plays.
But this month? He’s batting .477.
Yes, 47.7% of the time he’s stepped to the plate in July he’s gotten a hit.
In each of his last four games he’s recorded at least three hits, utter insanity.
So while the logic looks at a logjam at most of the positions that Bliss plays, perhaps there’s an opening for him to get the necessary work especially while he’s red hot.
Now, I’m sure Jerry Dipoto and Justin Hollander have thought of this. But, at some point, the mediocrity of the AL West is going to yield, one hot streak for the Mariners, Houston or Texas could be all the difference.
Maybe pulling out all the stops means re-thinking or pressing any internal buttons you haven’t yet.
After all, who knew Emerson Hancock was going to have the season he has thus far, but an opportunity because of injury led to what we’re seeing now.
Point is, the Mariners are dealing with near constant injuries, so who haven’t you called on yet to perhaps rise to the occasion and help this team when they need it most.
The stars have to find their groove
As frustrating as it is to see the Mariners under .500 at the All-Star Break with that talent. You have to remember just how injured this team has been.
Julio Rodriguez, Cal Raleigh, Randy Arozarena, J.P. Crawford, Josh Naylor, Brendan Donovan, Victor Robles, Matt Brash, Bryce Miller, (and more) have all missed multiple games because of injury.
The reality is, we have seen just limited stretches of this entire team at its healthiest. If at all.
That is not an excuse, because there has to be an uptick in production regardless, but it does serve as a reminder that as much as you want the results to be better, this team has had terrible luck with injuries.
Their biggest offseason splash, Brendan Donovan has played in just 25 games this season (out of 97) while producing when in the lineup.
Normally, you could say, ‘well, just wait ’til the team’s healthy,’ but the problem there is the stars have been so often injured that the Mariners almost have to get external help to bolster the ranks, then worry about the reps later when and if your guys get healthy.
Still, the guys who are in the lineup, or will be soon, have to find their groove. It’s a matter of making the playoffs in back-to-back years or not for the first time in a quarter century.
Even if the second half technically started a few weeks ago?
The time has to be now.