It’s been known for some time the Seattle Mariners weren’t going to make the playoffs this year, but the M’s made it official Wednesday night. Now the country’s longest playoff drought in any pro sport will continue for at least another year.
Actually, they didn’t make it official, but it became official when the Indians won Wednesday on Seattle’s off day. That gave five teams at least 80 wins, a number that the Mariners can’t reach even if they should win the rest of their games.
The Mariners have been eliminated and the longest postseason drought in North American sports is one year longerhttps://t.co/UwmLiSjrWp pic.twitter.com/YLAzn2BD2G
— CBS Sports MLB (@CBSSportsMLB) September 6, 2019
A ‘step-back’ year
The Mariners had a good season in 2018, going 89-73. That’s a record good enough to make the playoffs in many years. But Seattle still fell short of the wild card and well short of the powerhouse Houston Astros in the AL West race.
During the offseason, Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto decided to take a new track. He traded away many of the team’s best assets, including second baseman Robinson Cano and closer Edwin Diaz in a blockbuster deal to the New York Mets. He also let designated hitter Nelson Cruz walk in free agency, traded Jean Segura to the Philadelphia Phillies and also flipped veterans that he received in trades. Carlos Santana, Jay Bruce and Edwin Encarnacion all have moved on since the start of the year.
The result has been a long season but a robust farm system. The Mariners have gone from one of baseball’s worst systems to one in the top half of most rankings. Top prospect Jarred Kelenic, a 20-year-old received in the Cano/Diaz deal, has risen two levels in the minors.
#Mariners top prospect Jarred Kelenic capping off his first full @MiLB season in style — 2 HRs yesterday and another today in the @ARTravs' regular season finale to give him 23 to go along with 20 steals.
Here's Kelenic on #MLB's Top 100 Prospects list: https://t.co/aG46Y0calQ pic.twitter.com/IDNBljNNfO
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) September 2, 2019
Maybe next year?
The Mariners actually started off a surprising 13-2 this season, but they quickly fell off that pace. The team is 1-15 against the Astros and 58-84 overall. That will net them a top-10 pick in next year’s draft.
Ah, next year. The Mariners’ drought will reach 19 seasons by next year. The next-longest dry spell in pro sports belongs to the Cleveland Browns (16 years) and then the Sacramento Kings (13 years).
Perhaps for the Mariners fans, the latest rebuilding effort will yield the sweet oasis of October baseball.
The Mariners have been eliminated from playoff contention. pic.twitter.com/e5oBRc7kzm
— Boomer (@BoomerHockey25) September 7, 2019
