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Ranked: 5 Seattle Mariners who need to step up

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Ranked: 5 Seattle Mariners who need to step up


The Seattle Mariners are in first place in the American League West, but it still feels like the team hasn’t reached its full potential.

Rost on Seattle Mariners: What we’ve learned a quarter through the season

Seattle’s pitching staff has been among the best in baseball. That was expected by many, especially those in the Pacific Northwest. The offense has had its highs, but it’s also had plenty of low moments throughout the year.

The Mariners start a 10-game road trip Friday where they’ll see two of the best teams in the American League. It starts with three games against the Baltimore Orioles followed by four at the New York Yankees. That means Seattle will need to put together complete performances to add to its run of winning eight of its nine past series.

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For the Mariners to reach their full potential, some players need to step up. Mike Salk broke down who those Mariners are Friday during Ranked on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.

Ty France

Ty France quickly became a fan favorite after arriving from the San Diego Padres via trade during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. France hit immediately with the Mariners, batting .302 in his brief 23-game stint in 2020 and posting a .291 average and .813 OPS while being named in All-Star in 2021. But the 29 year old has largely struggled since injuries slowed him down in 2022. After a disappointing 2023, France trained with Driveline Baseball to retool his swing in hopes of finding the same sort of improvement as teammate J.P. Crawford. It hasn’t been a scorching start to 2024 for France, but he’s starting to show signs of his offseason work paying dividends. He homered twice in this week’s three-game set against a strong Kansas City Royals pitching staff.

“You’re starting to see it at times, some breakout potential, but they banked on him at first base,” Salk said. “They really need him to be that or else that’s a spot that you just gotta find a replacement.”

Mitch Garver

The Mariners signed Mitch Garver to a two-year, $24 million contract this offseason, which made him the most expensive free agent bat president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto has ever signed. That deal came after Garver was one of the heroes of the Texas Rangers’ championship run. The designated hitter got off to perhaps the slowest start of many slow starters, and his batting average dipped to as low as .138 on May 3. Garver seems to be finding his swing in May, though. He’s raised his batting average to .174 and his OPS nearly 100 points to .634 this month.

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“He’s been well below what the expectation was, well below what he was last year in Texas where he was one of their playoff heroes,” Salk said. “They need Mitch Garver to provide some of that insurance for Julio, some of that protection in the lineup and just be a veteran bat. You know what I want to see from him? Just RBIs, just driving in runs. I don’t care how you get there. I don’t need to see the home runs, just drive in runs, be a run producer, and if he can do that in the middle of the lineup, that will go a long way.”

Jorge Polanco

Polanco was supposed to be the answer to Seattle’s revolving door of second baseman when they sent four players to Minnesota Twins to get him this offseason, but he’s been nowhere near what the Mariners have expected. Polanco is hitting just .192 with a .606 OPS, which are both well below his career averages of .266 and .772. Perhaps most alarming has been Polanco’s skyrocketing strikeout rate. He’s fanning at a 31.5% clip this season, which is nearly 13% above his career average. The increased strikeouts are becoming a real trend for Polanco, who set career highs in strikeout rate in each of the past two seasons.

“That’s who they spent assets on in the offseason, more in terms of the prospects that they gave up, but his salary essentially replaced what they had given up in in Eugenio Suarez,” Salk said. “They were hoping because he’s a little younger, etcetera, you’d get an upgrade. You haven’t had that yet. You need that upgrade from Polanco getting on base, being productive, being a pest, giving a great at bat and, quite frankly, not striking out as much as he has.”

J.P. Crawford

J.P. Crawford is a leader in the Seattle clubhouse and broke out as one of the top offensive shortstops in 2023, setting career highs with a .380 on-base percentage, 19 homers, 65 RBIs and an .818 OPS. Crawford’s 2024 hasn’t been the same story. He was hitting just .198 with four-extra base hits in 98 plate appearances before a right oblique strain sidelined him in late April. Crawford seemed to be destined to return to the team for Friday’s series opener with Baltimore, but he was hit on the hand by a pitch in his presumed final rehab appearance with the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers. Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reported Crawford did not travel with the team to Baltimore.

“Come back and be J.P. Crawford here heading into the next part of the season, because you do eventually want him hitting first or second in this lineup,” Salk said. “You do want his late-game heroics. You do want his clutch gene. You want everything that JP can bring to this lineup to be back and helping to make everything go at the top.”

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Julio Rodríguez

Last August was a prime example of just how scorching-hot center fielder Julio Rodríguez can be at the plate and how he alone can essentially carry the Mariners’ offense. Rodríguez put up an absurd .429/.474/.724 slash line last August, which helped Seattle surge right back into the playoff race. Rodríguez hasn’t had near the impact the Mariners had hoped earlier this season, especially when it comes to his power production. He’s last among all Mariners with at least 100 plate appearances with just two home runs and seven extra-base hits.

“It’s Julio, man. They just need Julio to be Julio, and it’s getting there,” Salk said. “The at bats are improving, the contact is getting better. (We’re) still waiting for the pop, still waiting for the big moments where he drives in big runs. He’s perfectly capable of doing it. He had the one this year, with his first walkoff. Get Julio hot, man, and just watch the rest of this team follow.”

Listen to the full Ranked segment at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

More on the Seattle Mariners

• First-place Mariners face powerful Orioles: Three things to know
• Mariners the ‘team to beat’ in AL West? Why that’s now the case
• Video: Bob’s Breakdown – What’s changed most since start of season?
• Is expected return of Mariners’ J.P. Crawford now in doubt?
• Drayer: Rojas helping Julio an example of Seattle Mariners’ offense evolving

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Hannah Murphy makes 37 saves as Seattle Torrent beat Victoire 2-1

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Hannah Murphy makes 37 saves as Seattle Torrent beat Victoire 2-1


SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – DECEMBER 17: Hannah Murphy #83 of the Seattle Torrent tends net against the Ottawa Charge during the third period at Climate Pledge Arena on December 17, 2025 in Seattle, Washington.  (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)

Julia Gosling scored the game-winning goal early in the third period, and Hannah Murphy made 37 saves as the Seattle Torrent beat the Montréal Victoire 2-1 on Tuesday night.

Gosling broke the 1-1 tie just 3:26 into the final period on a questionable goal that was upheld after review. Murphy then helped Seattle survive a late Victoire power play chance to close out the win.

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With an extra skater on the ice with a delayed penalty call set to go against the Victoire for a tripping infraction, the puck leaked into the offensive zone onto the stick of Seattle captain Hilary Knight. Gosling was left unmarked across the crease and fired a one-timer that beat goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens for the go-ahead goal.

However, replays appeared to show Marie-Philip Poulin touch the puck for Montréal right as Knight won the battle for the puck. It was also close to having Knight offsides on the play as well, but the goal stood after replay review.

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A penalty on Megan Carter for holding with 2:43 left to play gave the Victoire a prime chance to tie as Montréal went six-on-four with their net empty. Murphy made four saves on the power play –  including a save against each member of the Victoire’s top line – as Seattle closed out the victory.

The Torrent have earned all three of their wins with Murphy in goal.

Seattle controlled play through most of the opening period, but the Victoire still managed to strike first. Despite trailing 12-8 in shots in the first, Montreal’s top line of Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey and Abby Roque combined to give the Victoire a 1-0 lead.

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A nice passing play from Poulin and Stacey set up a half slap shot from atop the left circle that beat the glove of Murphy to grab the advantage with just 1:03 left in the period.

The second period played out in the opposite way to the first, with the Victoire creating more offensive chances but the Torrent finding a goal to tie. 

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A two-on-one rush for Seattle caught Kati Tabin in a pickle. Gosling’s shot rebounded hard off the pads of Desbiens as Alex Carpenter cleaned up the loose puck to tie it at 1-1.

Meanwhile, Murphy was terrific in goal for Seattle. She made 15 saves in the period as a power play fueled Montréal’s attack. 

Gosling’s goal gave Seattle the lead early in the third as Murphy had to shine to get the victory across the finish line. Fifteen more saves followed in the final period with Montréal unable to crack Murphy, despite a few dangerous chances.

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The Source: Information in this story came from FOX 13 Seattle reporting.

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Windstorm possible on Christmas Eve in Seattle

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Windstorm possible on Christmas Eve in Seattle


Strong winds are sticking around Western Washington into Christmas Eve, but Christmas Day is looking quiet.

There’s a low chance of high-impact windstorms around the region tomorrow. There’s still a considerable amount of uncertainty in the wind speeds due to extreme differences in the various weather models.

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Be prepared for possible tree damage and power outages by Wednesday evening. Otherwise, you can plan on occasional scattered lowland rain and mountain snow tomorrow.

Possible windstorm on Christmas Eve

What’s next:

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There’s a high wind watch posted for many locations around Western Washington for Wednesday morning to evening. The first round of winds is likely to happen in the morning (however, stick with us for updates as to the timing) with east/northeast gusts to 30 mph.

In the morning, the strongest winds will likely be focused over the Cascade gaps (e.g. North Bend and Enumclaw).

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By the afternoon, there’s a chance for more forceful winds — this time, coming from the south. The second period of winds will have a higher impact with gusts potentially reaching 50-60 mph. Should this forecast pan out, there would be widespread tree damage and power outages.

Big picture view:

However, it’s important to note that the various weather models we analyze are presenting a broad range of possible outcomes on Christmas Eve. It’s rare to have this level of uncertainty about a forecast barely 24 hours in advance. Some suggest an intense windstorm while others indicate winds would barely reach 10 mph. 

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Keep in mind: there’s an elevated ‘bust potential’ for this forecast — meaning, the winds could be a dud, barely blowing — or gusts could be highly damaging. I recommend preparing for the worst-case scenario and being pleasantly surprised if conditions are quieter.

What you can do:

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As a meteorologist, this is what I recommend you do with high winds possible: 

  • Don’t spend time outside during this windstorm if at all possible (in the event that weak trees or tree branches fall).
  • Limit time on the roads during the peak of the in case trees fall! With this particular windstorm, I’d recommend traveling in the morning (unless the timing changes) before winds peak in the afternoon and early evening.
  • First, make sure you keep your phone charged in the event of a power outage.
  • You can also download the FOX Local app on your phone so you can watch our weather coverage and forecast.  Remember to keep the fridge shut during a power outage to maintain the cool air there.

The weather models are split as to the path of this storm: the impacts of this system depend on where it moves. You better believe our weather team will be watching how things develop. If the low pressure moves over the coast and the Olympic Peninsula, the winds would be more damaging. However, if it moves into Eastern Washington, the winds would likely be weaker.

This storm serves as a reminder as to the importance of humans as meteorologists — because most weather apps can’t express the range of possible outcomes and various scenarios.

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River flood threat decreasing

Except for the Skokomish River in Mason County, the threat of river flooding is over this week. Even the risk of river flooding next week has decreased substantially. Stay tuned in case anything changes!

There may be minor coastal flooding at times this week.

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Local perspective:

Beyond the winds on Christmas Eve, you can expect scattered lowland rain and occasional minor mountain snow.

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On Christmas Day itself, the morning will be about the aftermath of any tree damage and outages. Quieter weather is expected on Christmas.

Take good care,

Meteorologist Abby Acone

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Where Seattle Seahawks’ No. 1 seed odds stand after Week 16

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Where Seattle Seahawks’ No. 1 seed odds stand after Week 16


The NFC West is a crowded mess, with three of the NFL’s best teams vying for both the division crown and the NFC’s No. 1 seed.

And it just got messier.

The 49ers’ win over the Colts on Monday night improves their record to 11-4, tying them with the Rams and putting both teams one game behind the 12-3 Seahawks.

Are Seahawks now the NFC favorite? Sheil Kapadia’s take

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What does it mean for Seattle? I’ll be using The Athletic’s 2025 Playoff Simulator to navigate through the next two weeks…

First, the basics. What’s next for these three teams?

The 49ers have two at home. They host the 11-4 Chicago Bears (the league’s leader in takeaways and coming off back-to-back wins) for Sunday Night Football and then host the Seahawks. The date and time on that one is TBD, usually settled late Week 17, but it’s a favorite to be another primetime matchup.

The current NFL playoff picture

The Seahawks have two on the road. They head to Carolina to take on a hungry 8-7 Panthers team, also coming off a win, that can clinch the NFC South for the first time in a decade with a victory and a Bucs’ loss to the Dolphins. Then the Seahawks head to Santa Clara to face the 49ers.

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The Rams have the easiest slate, facing two teams already eliminated from the postseason. They head to play the 6-9 Falcons and then host the 3-12 Cardinals in the regular-season finale.

What are the Seahawks’ current odds of clinching the No. 1 seed?

The Seahawks entered Monday with 53% odds to clinch the No. 1 seed. There’s not a big hit from the 49ers’ win: Seattle’s odds dip to 48%, but are still the highest of the three (49ers at 27% and the Rams at 11% before games are played this upcoming Sunday).

The only thing eliminated by virtue of the 49ers’ win was the Seahawks’ ability to clinch the top seed this Sunday.

If all three NFC West teams win in Week 17, the Seahawks’ odds are right where they were: 53%. That’s how monumental Week 18’s game against the 49ers is.

Best-case scenario in Week 17: Easy. The Seahawks are the only team of the three to win this Sunday. Their odds would jump to 74%. They get the No. 1 seed one of two ways after that: beat the 49ers, or lose to the 49ers + a Lions win over the Bears.

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Worst-case scenario in Week 17: The Seahawks lose, while the Rams and 49ers win. Seattle’s odds would drop to 7%. But they’re not done; in this scenario, they could still get the top seed with a win over the 49ers + a Cardinals win over the Rams.

How would the Rams clinch? The Rams’ loss to the Seahawks last Thursday night took L.A. out of the driver’s seat. The Rams’ simplest path is to: win out + the Seahawks and 49ers lose one game each + the Lions beat the Bears. The Rams need the Seahawks to lose to make up for the one-game lead, and need the Bears to lose to win a tiebreaker (conference record).

What else should we know?

Oh, that’s right, the Bears.

There’s another team here still fighting for the top seed. Chicago’s Saturday night comeback win over the Packers wasn’t just a thriller; it also added some new playoff implications.

The Bears are currently the No. 2 seed. But they have a better conference record than both the Rams and the Seahawks, so keeping a game ahead is massive.

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Again, all Seattle has to do is win out. It doesn’t matter what any other team does if that happens. But things become tricky if Seattle drops a game.

In that case, if the Seahawks lose to the Panthers, root for the Lions and Cardinals. And always root against your NFC West foes.

More on the Seattle Seahawks

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