After a week, it's clear that Don Wakamatsu's Mariners are
much different than the 2008 team.
Take a look at the AL West standings and you'll see something that at this time last year was becoming further and further out of reach.
At 5-2, coming off a 3-game road sweep of rival Oakland, the Mariners have won four straight and lead the division by 1.5 games. It's hard to imagine a better start.
But it was a much different story for the Mariners after seven games last season. Actually, the team was going in the completely opposite direction.
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After two series last season the Mariners were 2-5 and losers of four in-a-row. They had just been swept by the Baltimore Orioles, who would finish last place in their division. George Sherrill, the ace reliever who was one of the pieces in the Erik Bedard trade, had just notched save no. 3 against his former team.
Things could not have been going much worse.
If the Mariners' aweful 2008 season were divided into three phases of emotions, the feeling after the first seven games would be best descirbed as frustration. Disappointment and embarassment would follow.
The 2009 season is only seven games old, but it's already evident that this is a much better team than it was last year.
So what have been the biggest differences so far?
Outfield defense. This was supposed to be a strength and already the Mariners outfield has shown it's good as advertised. With the speed and range displayed by newcomers Endy Chavez and Franklin Gutierrez, the gaps have been where extra-base hits go to die. They haven't just made the spectactular plays, but also the difficult running catches that slower players would have let drop. With Ichiro Suzuki scheduled to come of the disabled list Wednesday, the Mariners will have three Gold Glove-caliber outfielders. When those three are playing, they might be the best defensive outfield in baseball.
This isn't a luxary the Mariners had last year. As good of a hitter as he was, Raul Ibanez simply didn't have the mobility to cover any gound. While it was also a function of pitching, the Mariners allowed 371 combined doubles and triples (the second highest AL total) partly because of their inability to cover the gaps.
Endy Chavez's offense. So much for the notion that Chavez was brought in only for his defense. The fill-in leadoff hitter has gotten it done from the plate as well. Chavez is batting .379 (11-29), has hit safely in every game and has only struck out twice. If he moves to the two-hole when Ichiro returns, they could form a nice hit-and-run combo.
Depth. Remember last year when, for the fist month of the season, we had to watch Brad Wilkerson play despite his inability to hit? Remember how he started off the season batting .059 (1-17) yet somehow managed to remain in the lineup? The reason was because the Mariners didn't really have another everyday player who could step in and take over. When Mike Morse went on the disabled list after the fifth game, Wilkerson still might have been the best option on the roster. Willie Bloomquist and Miguel Cairo were good utility players, but they were utility players for a reason.
The Mariners no longer have that problem. They have plenty of good options this year, especially in the outfield. Wladimir Balentien has stepped in for Ken Griffey Jr. in right field and has four hits in ten at-bats. Ronny Cedeno, who can play just about anywhere, made a highlight-worthy play against Minnesota while giving Adrian Beltre a day off at third base.
The Mariners don't just have replacements on their bench. They've got guys who can and will play. In the first seven games, Don Wakamatsu has used 24 of the 25 players on his roster.
It's way too early to tell how good the Mariners will be this year, but there is no doubt that this is a much different team than the one that lost 101 games in 2008.
After seven games, the first place Mariners are heading back to Safeco Field with their best player set to return Wednesday. If nothing else this is exciting, which sure beats frustrating.
Reach Brady Henderson at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
