Oakland Athletics’ Division Race: Checking In On the Competition

Jun 17, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez (34) throws against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Seattle Mariners

Rank: Fourth – 9.0 Games Back
Record: 38-44
First-Half MVP: Nelson Cruz, with all due respect to Felix Hernandez
Biggest Surprise: Lefty starter Mike Montgomery, who is 4-2 with a 1.62 ERA in 50 innings.

The Mariners aren’t exactly tearing it up in the AL West, but they’ve managed to stay slightly more competitive than the A’s have. Luckily for them, Hisashi Iwakuma returned from the disabled list on Monday, after being absent since mid-April with a strained lat muscle. The Mariners have felt his loss, given that he posted a 3.07 ERA over the past three seasons. They lost James Paxton, as well, when he injured the tendon in his middle finger.

But it hasn’t been all bad for the Mariners. After a very shaky first few two months, Taijuan Walker turned his season around and began pitching the way that Seattle expected him to. While he still sports a 4.34 ERA, he was 4-1 with a 2.36 ERA in the month of June. Hernandez has been stellar as always, posting a 3.02 ERA and a 10-5 record, with 106 strikeouts so far this year.

Offensively, Cruz has been the star of the show. The Mariners’ big right-hander has crushed 21 home runs this season, batting .304/.364/.554 and racking up 50 RBIs in the first half. Robinson Cano has struggled, hitting just .248 in what has been the worst season of his career by far. The rest of the Mariners’ offense has been mediocre at best, including Logan Morrison and Austin Jackson.

If the Mariners have a chance – and it’s looking more and more like they don’t – they’re going to win with pitching, not offense. Seattle has continued its trend of acquiring too many power hitters and not enough players who can hit for average or even just get on-base.

Next: Division Competition: Texas Rangers