SEATTLE -- Suboptimal as the Mariners’ finish to their Opening Week homestand was, a few trends emerged that will be worth watching as the club heads into its first off-day, then its first road trip.
The good: Promising players that shined in Spring Training continued with tangible results in games that now matter. Carryover from guys like Cole Young, Luke Raley and Emerson Hancock illustrated that the progress each made in Arizona could be legit.
The not-so-good: They were shut out by the Yankees for 16 straight innings and dropped the series to a team they expect to see again in October, capped by a 5-3 loss Wednesday afternoon at T-Mobile Park. That came after a four-game split vs. the Guardians, another American League contender, which has the Mariners at 3-4 heading to Anaheim.
“Obviously, you want to win more games in the opening part of your season here,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “But I feel good about the adjustments we're making and the direction we're heading.”
Through the first homestand, here’s an early assessment of where things stand.
Who’s hot: No. 5 starter, bottom of the order
Hancock was brilliant on Sunday, holding Cleveland hitless through six innings -- and more so, showing elite command of his four-seam fastball in the upper zone while flashing his improved sweeper for silly swings-and-misses. His stay in the rotation won’t be permanent, and Bryce Miller could return from the injured list later this month. But it was a benchmark to Hancock’s status among this group for 2026.
At the plate, Young was the star of spring -- and the first homestand. The 22-year-old second baseman went 8-for-25 (.320) and lifted the Mariners to Saturday’s win with a three-run homer. And maybe even more impressive, he’s 4-for-9 against lefties.
Young was at the plate for the 27th out on Wednesday, but after 10 whole pitches against two-time All-Star David Bednar before flying out. More broadly, Young has also shown such progress with his glove, and it’s the totality of his development that suggests this could be very real.
“He's really starting to feel the confidence, and I think really starting to feel the flow here a little bit,” Wilson said. “And it's really great to see from such a young player.”
We’d be remiss to not mention Raley, too, after oblique and back injuries last year left him a shell of his robust self. Entering Wednesday, he’d barreled 50% of his batted balls -- tops in the league -- suggesting that those nagging issues are long gone.
Who’s not: The lineup’s linchpins
Cal Raleigh snapped the Yanks’ bid for consecutive shutouts on Wednesday when ripping a two-run single off Bednar. He also came off the bench for a walk-off on Monday.
But other than that, he’s struck out in 15 of his 25 at-bats. And he’s not alone.
Julio Rodríguez is 2-for-26 and Josh Naylor is 1-for-27, bringing the collective clip for that power-hitting trio to 7-for-78 (.090) for the season -- with just one extra-base hit.
“I don't think it's going to last like that,” Raleigh said. “I don't think Naylz is going to go hitless list for the year; same with Julio. I think everybody is going to be just fine once they get that timing, once they get comfortable in the box."
Raleigh is right. It won’t last forever. And one week of games is hardly time to panic, especially since that the club was mostly able to withstand those struggles.
Yet, for Raleigh and Rodríguez, we haven’t seen them miss on fastballs so regularly; heaters have accounted for 14 of their 25 combined strikeouts. And for Naylor, it’s the lack of hard contact that’s been most glaring; his 59.1% ground-ball rate leads the team.
Who to watch: The returning shortstop -- and his heir apparent
J.P. Crawford should be activated on Friday in Anaheim, with second baseman Ryan Bliss expected to be the corresponding move.
And seeing how Crawford navigates the reality that, in all likelihood, this will be his final season in Seattle will be top of mind over these next few weeks.
Colt Emerson is not coming for Crawford’s position immediately, president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto reiterated on Tuesday. But after signing a $95 million contract extension, MLB Pipeline’s No. 7 overall prospect will take over shortstop in 2027 and beyond. And his anticipated callup, most likely to play third base, will also feature front-line anticipation throughout April.
That said, Crawford has been an instrumental piece to the best era in this franchise’s history, and that shouldn’t be forgotten.