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SEATTLE, WA – JULY 06: Dylan Moore #25 of the Seattle Mariners reacts after striking out to end the third inning during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at T-Mobile Park on July 6, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. (Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)

The Seattle Mariners will once again be spectators for the MLB postseason after officially being eliminated from the playoffs on Thursday afternoon.

Wins over the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals slammed the door on the postseason chances of a team that once held a 10-game lead in the AL West in mid-June. The Houston Astros clinched their fourth straight AL West crown with a win over the Mariners on Tuesday night, and Thursday’s results eliminated the Mariners from Wild Card contention.

Since taking a 10-game lead in the division on June 18, the Mariners have gone 38-46 – the third-worst record in the American League. Only the Los Angeles Angels and Chicago White Sox have lost more games in that period.

The collapse was mainly caused by a woefully bloodless offense that couldn’t provide enough support for one of baseball’s best starting rotations. The Mariners rank second in batting average (.224) and lead all of baseball in strikeouts (1,603). With one more strikeout in their last three games, the Mariners will set a new franchise record for strikeouts in a single season, surpassing their previous record from last season.

Meanwhile, the Mariners led all of MLB in quality starts (six innings pitched, three runs or fewer allowed) with 92, which is 13 more than their nearest competitor in the Philadelphia Phillies. The Mariners have lost 31 of those 92 quality starts during their rotation.

While the offense was the biggest reason for the demise, injuries to the bullpen also piled up: Matt Brash missed the season entirely, Gregory Santos missed most of the year, Gabe Speier was out for extended periods of time, and more.

The midseason slide led to the Mariners firing manager Scott Servais and hitting coach Jarret DeHart in August, with Dan Wilson as the new manager. The Mariners are 18-13 since the management change and have seen an uptick in their attacking output over the past month, but that hasn’t been enough to overcome the summer freefall.

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