The Mariners entered 2024 as a playoff hopeful. They were the favorites to win the American League West, according to FanGraphs.com. Now, with just 36 games left to play, time is running out, and quickly. The Mariners sit at 64-62, barely above .500, and are now five games behind their rival Houston Astros in the West.

Just six games ago, Seattle and Houston were tied atop the standings. But a 6-1 stretch for Houston combined with a 1-6 stretch for Seattle has tipped the scales. The Mariners are now in panic mode. There is not much season left, and their once formidable lead in the West has not only evaporated but has been completely overcome.

It is easy to forget that on June 18, the Mariners, at the time holding a 44-31 record, led Houston by 10 games. Just two months ago, it looked like the Mariners were on the fast track to the playoffs. At that time, FanGraphs gave them an 86.3% chance to win their division.

Now, those chances are down to 10.2%. Seattle also trails Kansas City by six-and-a-half games in the wild-card standings. Needless to say, things are starting to look grim.

The Mariners are not out of it yet. 36 games remain, including three head-to-head matches with the Astros. They also have two series against both the Rangers and Athletics, who have not played well this year. There are opportunities for the Mariners to put together a winning streak and make up ground, but they need to start taking advantage of those opportunities.

If they fail to do so, the outcome could be catastrophic. President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto does not have a contract extension for 2025 and beyond. Neither does Manager Scott Servais. The Dipoto-Servais regime which began in 2016, could be coming to a close if the team does not turn things around.

Dipoto has been heavily scrutinized by Seattle media for his comments regarding his goal for the team to win 54% of their games. Servais has been criticized for his oversight of the fastest-blown ten-game lead in the history of baseball.

The regime has fostered a reputation for being good, but never great. Despite managing five winning seasons, the Mariners have only made the playoffs once in their eight-year span, and still have not won the AL West since 2001. This year appeared to be their best chance at doing so.

The Mariners boast the best pitching staff in baseball, leading the MLB with a 3.48 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and .223 opponent AVG. With such a strong rotation, the Mariners have no business being so far behind in the standings, and yet, here they are. That is because the bats have not pulled their weight.

The offense has not just been bad, it has been awful. The Mariners team OPS of .666 ranks 28th in the MLB. Their 496 runs scored is 26th. Their .215 batting average is dead last. It is no surprise then, that when you combine the best rotation with a bottom-five offense, you get a slightly above-average team. That is what the 2024 Mariners are, and it simply is not good enough.

The Mariners have 36 games to turn it around. If they are not up to the task, there will likely be consequences.