After last season’s tense playoff race that saw the Mariners finish just two games out of the wildcard spot, captivating the entire city of Seattle for an entire weekend, the Mariners begin a new season, looking to end that dreaded twenty-one-year playoff drought. 

It’s important to mention that this season looked like it wouldn’t even be played a couple of months ago, as the MLBPA and Owners were locked in nasty negotiations which resulted in a 99-day lockout, the first since the 1994 season. After multiple deals broke down throughout February and March, an agreement was finally reached to begin the season on April 7th. Baseball fans around the world rejoiced,

“It was really scary that we would possibly have a year without baseball,” said big-time Mariners fan Nathan Holt.

Now that the season is officially back on, the Mariners are looking to make a big splash in the baseball world, and they’re off to a great start. Both before and after the lockout, the Mariners have made huge signings that greatly bolster their lineup.

“We have committed to adding payroll to our roster…We have the flexibility to do it, and frankly, we’ve already done some of that and don’t intend to stop,” said Mariners General Manager Jerry Dipoto. 

And the signings reflect just that. Pitcher Robbie Ray from the Toronto Blue Jays adds to the already solid pitching rotation and could make the Mariners deadly from the mound. 

Adam Fraizer and Jesse Winker were acquired in trades this offseason as well. These two all-star hitters add consistent firepower to the Mariners lineup, and if they get hot, it could become a big problem for any team facing the Mariners. 

Add all of this on top of the young and exciting lineup the Mariners retained from last year, and the Mariners are instantly put into the category of playoff dark horses. 

So what do the fans think about all this? Well, when asked, lifelong Mariners fan Paul Leonardo said 

“This team is super young and exciting, I’m excited to see what they will do.”

With the season starting in less than a week, the city of Seattle will once again hold its breath, trying to not let the always hopeless optimism take over. Las Vegas sets the Mariners expected win total at 83.5 games, a mediocre season at best. And after twenty-one years of disappointment, most Mariners fans will be expecting some sort of disappointment. 

Realistically speaking, however, if there is one thing that this team proved to the city last season, if they BELIEVE, anything is possible.