State of the Mariners – May 9th, 2025
By Brittany Wisner, edited by Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA - Who exactly is this baseball team, and what have they done with our Seattle Mariners?
We are now 36 games into the season and this year’s team looks strikingly different than the Mariners of the last couple years. Gone are the days of leading the league in strikeouts and depending on near-perfect pitching performances to eke out wins. This year’s squad is getting on base, driving in runs, and in it until the end - even when the starting pitcher gives up five runs.
All this has led to a Seattle team who has now won their ninth series in a row and holds a 19-7 record since April 7th, the best in MLB.
The offense has been nothing short of remarkable. As a unit they have produced a 124 wRC+ (which ranks 2nd in all of baseball), .340 on-base percentage (2nd), .755 OPS (5th), mashed 51 home runs (4th) and driven in 185 runs (7th). They lead the league in walk rate (11.0%) and perhaps most shocking, their strikeout rate sits at just 21.6%, ranking a sensible 15th in all of baseball.
This offensive improvement has been fueled by contributions up and down the lineup; from Jorge Polanco’s sensational 1.103 OPS, to Leo Rivas’ absurd .471 OBP, to Julio Rodríguez’s seemingly impossible 19.9% strikeout rate. Nearly every position player has done something noteworthy, but here are some of the biggest standouts from the past few weeks.
Who’s Hot
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh during the teams Friday, April 11th, 2025 win over the Texas Rangers at T-Mobile Park. (Photos by Rio Giancarlo for Circling Seattle Sports)
Cal Raleigh
Arguably the team’s MVP and on track for what should be his first All-Star appearance, Cal Raleigh has been destroying the baseball.
Leading the league in home runs with 12, Raleigh’s 168 wRC+ and 2.0 fWAR ranks seventh and ninth respectively amongst all qualified hitters in Major League Baseball. Of course, he’s done this all while appearing in all 36 games so far this season, seeing time behind the plate in 28 of them and serving as the Designated Hitter for the other eight.
The Big Dumper has seen a noticeable uptick in barrel rate and exit velocity, primarily from the left side of the plate and notably since he picked up a torpedo bat on April 11th. According to Statcast, Raleigh’s exit velocity has improved by 3.3 mph and his slugging percentage has nearly tripled since making the switch. While the sample size prior to the change was quite small which makes it difficult to draw definitive conclusions, the bat change at the very least appears to have given the Mariner backstop a boost in confidence and Raleigh has arguably been the best catcher in baseball to start the year.
Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford during the teams Tuesday, April 29th, 2025 win over the Los Angeles Angels at T-Mobile Park. (Photos by Eric Hiller for Circling Seattle Sports)
J.P. Crawford
As the roster was constructed, the 2025 Seattle Mariners desperately needed to see the return of the 2023 version of J.P. Crawford - and it would appear that he has.
After a slow start to the season, Seattle’s unofficial captain now cannot stop hitting. Crawford is slashing .288/.408/.390 for a 145 wRC+ and currently riding a career-best 15-game hit streak. He continues to draw walks at a high rate and strikes out infrequently, making it an easy decision to reinstate him at the top of the order after the loss of Victor Robles. Crawford currently holds a .313 batting average and .826 OPS out of the leadoff spot.
The gold glove shortstop has dazzled in the field as well, already compiling several SportsCenter-worthy plays for a defense that desperately needs his reliable glove in the middle of the infield.
Seattle Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz during the teams Tuesday, April 29th, 2025 win over the Los Angeles Angels at T-Mobile Park. (Photos by Eric Hiller for Circling Seattle Sports)
Andrés Muñoz
After an impressive 2024 campaign that earned him his first All-Star selection, Andrés Muñoz has somehow managed to elevate himself even further early on in 2025.
One of just three qualified relievers in all of baseball yet to give up an earned run, Muñoz has been the key to Seattle’s success in close games, of which there have been many. He leads the American League in saves with 13 and has struck out batters at a rate of 36.8%, the fourth highest strikeout rate amongst AL qualified relievers.
The fireballer appears to be maturing and gaining new confidence with each passing season as well. In a situation that might have rattled him in years past– one can recall the infamous four-walk ninth inning in Milwaukee back in 2024– Muñoz escaped a bases-loaded no out jam Tuesday night in Oakland, striking out three in a row to send the Mariners to the top of the 11th inning.
Named the MLB Reliever of the Month, Muñoz has seen more national attention so far this season and deservedly so. More importantly, his cat Matilda has gotten just as much fanfare!
Who’s Not So Hot
Trent Thornton
Thornton’s season is off to a rather rocky start. In 15.1 innings pitched, he has posted a 5.87 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. He has already surrendered five home runs after giving up just eight round-baggers in all of 2024. Opposing hitters are batting .267 against him.
Thornton’s Statcast numbers don’t inspire much hope for improvement as it currently stands. His xERA (6.71), xwOBA (.405) and xBA (.313) all rank in the bottom 5% of baseball. His .583 xSLG is in the bottom 3% of baseball. Thornton is failing to miss bats, his whiff rate down a dramatic 7.6% and contact rate up 5.2% from what it was in 2024, according to Fangraphs. He has also allowed a career-high barrel rate of 12.2%, up significantly from 7.8% last year.
Manager Dan Wilson has frequently been electing to use Thornton in higher leverage situations, often in the 7th or 8th inning. With the return of Matt Brash, it will be interesting to see whether or not Thornton’s usage changes.
Seattle Mariners right-handed starting pitcher Bryce Miller during the teams Friday, April 11th, 2025 win over the Texas Rangers at T-Mobile Park. (Photos by Rio Giancarlo for Circling Seattle Sports)
Bryce Miller
Bryce Miller has frankly not looked like Bryce Miller to begin the season.
With a 4.15 ERA and 1.47 WHIP, Miller has had to labor through all seven of his starts, battling high pitch counts early in game due to a lack of command and inability to put hitters away. He has yet to throw six full innings and his 12.8% walk rate is double what it was in 2024.
Miller has made several comments regarding arm soreness, as well as reporting his back had “locked up” on him prior to his April 29th start. Although the Texan right-hander hasn’t reported these ailments to be anything serious, he has said they have been “nagging” him consistently. With George Kirby now on a rehab assignment and hoping to return within the next few weeks, it’s fair to speculate if Miller will soon spend some time on the Injured List
What’s Next?
The Mariners look to continue their series win streak with a short six-game homestand where they will face off against the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees.
Since Seattle saw them last - winning two of three games in Toronto - the Blue Jays have fallen to third place in the American League East with 17 wins and 20 losses. Probable starting pitchers for Toronto will be Kevin Gausman (3.83 ERA), Bowden Francis (5.66 ERA) and José Ureña (8.59 ERA).
The Yankees sit atop the American League East with a record of 21-16. Their offense leads the league in home runs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and wRC+. Half their losses have come on the road, the teaming going 8-8 away from Yankee stadium.
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Check out our previous Seattle Mariners articles here.
Check out our previous articles with writing by Brittany Wisner here.
Check out our previous articles with photos by Eric Hiller here, and his portfolio here.
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