The Seattle Mariners are a good team.  They are so good that if they were in four other divisions in the league they would be in second place instead of third.  Unfortunately they aren’t in any of those divisions, they are in the division that has the two teams that have been the top two teams in the league since the beginning of July.  Even being stuck in third place they are still in control of their own destiny as they currently sit just a half game out of the second Wild Card spot behind the Detroit Tigers.

The fact that they’d be a second place team doesn’t prove how good this team is, though, because if you’re in second or third it doesn’t make a difference if you cannot make the playoffs.  This team is good, it is easy to see because of their position in the Wild Card standings, but why and how are they good?

Could it really be as simple as one man, Robinson Cano, making a cultural difference in the team?  It is painfully obvious that their other two main offseason acquisitions have not lived up to expectations.  Corey Hart was brought in to be the regular designated hitter and occasional first baseman, and while he has had his moments, he has only batted .203 and not supplied the power that they had hoped when they signed him away from the Milwaukee Brewers.  Logan Morrison has also had his moments in the M’s uniform but he as well has not supplied the power that they had hoped when they traded a promising reliever for the first baseman and occasional outfielder.

Again, it can’t really be just because of Cano could it?  On the offensive side of the ball it just might be true.  He is not the only one producing on offense, but when players are interviewed they all seem to mention that he has helped them improve in some way.  Kyle Seager was on the verge of becoming a star last season.  This season Seager has the benefit of hitting behind the veteran Cano giving him better pitches to hit and has had the benefit of Cano’s experience and wisdom off of the field.  Cano has also had an impact on his fellow middle infielders and the signing of Cano forced Dustin Ackley to be moved permanently to the outfield where he has flourished this season.

Cano is not the one player who has turned this team around because offense is only one aspect of the game.  The Mariners have been built around Felix Hernandez for years now, and this year is no different.  What they have done, though, is found a diamond in the rough with Chris Young to solidify the starting rotation behind King Felix and Hisashi Iwakuma.

The pitching improvements did not stop in the rotation.  The fourth big acquisition the Mariners made this offseason was one to solidify the back end of their bullpen, and they did just that when they signed free agent archer Fernando Rodney.  With Rodney in the fold the back end of the bullpen Charlie Furbush has become the regular seventh inning guy and Danny Farquhar has left the closer role and become an above average set-up man.  With this set-up their bullpen has been one of the most solid in all of baseball with Rodney saving 36 games in 39 attempts and only ten blown saves on the year as a group.

All of these factors make the Mariners good, but not great.  They also make this team something else, and that is scary if they can get into the playoffs.  The’re not the best offensive team, there is no doubt about that, but a one-two punch of King Felix and Kuma could be deadly, especially if the back end of the pen can hold down wins for Young.  They may not be the best, they may not be great, but they have the capability to be the hottest team heading into September, and that’s anyone can ask for.