Seattle Mariners fans are far too accustomed to their boys in blue letting them down season after season. There have been few seasons since their last playoff berth in 2001 where the Mariners have come dangerously close to making the playoffs.  

The far more frequent scenario is the club being overhyped leading into the season, getting off to a hot start in the first two months, then having a 10-game losing streak in late July or August derail any playoff hopes the team had been clinging to.

The 2014 season is still very young, and by and large the first month of the season holds very little predictive value in the season’s long-run outcome. But this year’s Mariners might actually be different than the squads of years past.

Seattle’s young players and big guns enjoyed successful springs. Shortstop Brad Miller and second-baseman turned outfielder Dustin Ackley both experienced fantastic spring training performances, and so far that success has spilled over to the regular season.

Miller sported a batting average of .410 with four homeruns, 10 runs batted in (RBI) and an astronomical .836 slugging percentage in the spring. His glove made solid progress as well to compliment the rocket arm we all knew he already possesses. In the second game of this regular season, Miller notched two homeruns, the fourth multi-homerun game of his young career, and has not stopped driving the ball to all areas of the outfield.

As a former top prospect, Ackley has disappointed Mariners fans in his first two full major league seasons, but things might finally come together for him in 2014. After enjoying a hot spring in which he batted .382 with a couple homeruns and 16 RBI, Ackley started off the season with four hits including a double and a triple and four RBI. He appears to be playing well in the outfield as well, and as long as he continues to produce we can bet on seeing that Grizzly Adams-style beard continue to grow during the course of the season.

The pitching staff was a huge question mark heading into this season, especially with Hisashi Iwakuma and Taijuan Walker sidelined with injuries to start the year. Nonetheless, Erasmo Ramirez and James Paxton have stepped up nicely in their absences. Both pitchers delivered convincing victories in their debut starts, and Paxton’s seven-inning shutout was a more dominant outing than Felix Hernandez delivered in the opener.

Robinson Cano has been a focal point of discussion for Seattle as well, as the slugger is expected to produce big numbers in Seattle’s No. 3 spot in the order. In the first few games of the season, Cano hasn’t produced huge fireworks thus far. However, he has consistently gotten on base with a double, a slew of singles, and has been walked frequently sporting a batting average north of .400.

Cano had only driven in two runs as of this past Sunday, although given how well the offense has produced runs thus far this is extremely encouraging. It is encouraging due to the fact others in the lineup are producing around him and driving him and others home, which is exactly what Seattle needs to be successful.

The man who has driven in the most runs is another guy who hasn’t lived up to the hype in past seasons, but is off to a scorching hot start in 2014, first baseman Justin Smoak. Smoak has already knocked in eight RBI, with two homeruns and two doubles, as well as posting a batting average over .300. If Smoak continues to deliver, this will protect Cano in the lineup and force pitchers to pitch to him more often, increasing the likelihood of his success at the plate.

The man bringing it all together is manager Lloyd McClendon, a man who spent valuable years under the tutelage of legendary manager Jim Leyland in Detroit. McClendon brings knowledge, experience, and a unique management style to a Seattle clubhouse that has had a multitude of different managers since the departure of the beloved Lou Piniella.

While it is quite possible for the Mariners to once again miss the playoffs this season, there is also the distinct possibility that this could be the year Seattle snaps their 13-year playoff drought and back into the postseason, especially given the large question marks in perennial powerhouses like the Angels and Rangers. Even if Seattle does not make the playoffs this year the Mariners could be in for success down the road, and this is one Mariners fan who is remaining optimistic.