Following a collapse down the stretch of the regular season, the Seattle Mariners found themselves on the outside looking in on the postseason picture.
Despite a promising regular season that kept fans hopeful until the final weekend, the Mariners finished the season with a lackluster 4-6 record in their last 10 games, sealing their fate and sending them home for October.
In the aftermath of this disappointment, President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto held his annual postmortem press conference, advocating for patience in a way that didn’t sit well with the Mariners faithful.
“We’re actually doing the fanbase a favor by asking for their patience to win the World Series while we continue to build a sustainably good roster,” Dipoto stated.
Jerry Dipoto says he operates with a 10-year plan to win 54% of the time.
"We're actually doing the fanbase a favor in asking for their patience to win the World Series while we continue to build a sustainably good roster." pic.twitter.com/EUfd04TsTo
— Jake García (@Jake_M_Garcia) October 3, 2023
This assertion came as a surprise to many, as the Mariners have made only one postseason appearance in the past 22 years.
Expectations had been raised following the 2022 playoff run, with the team showcasing an exciting young core. However, a year later, Dipoto’s message seemed to be more about managing fan expectations than addressing the team’s performance.
Furthermore, Dipoto outlined a 10-year plan aimed at achieving a 54% winning percentage – a figure he deemed as a gateway to consistent postseason success.
“If you go back and you look in a decade, those teams that win 54% of the time always wind up in the postseason. And they, more often than not, wind up in the World Series. So there’s your bigger picture process,” he said.
“Nobody wants to hear the goal this year is, ‘We’re going to win 54% of the time.’ Because sometimes 54% is – one year, you’re going to win 60%, another year you’re going to win 50%. It’s whatever it is. But over time, that type of mindset gets you there … If what you’re doing is focusing year-to-year on, ‘what do we have to do to win the World Series this year?’ You might be one of the teams that’s laying in the mud and can’t get up for another decade.”
Critics have argued that while the goal may be statistically sound, it lacks the immediate accountability that fans yearn for.
The sentiment echoed throughout the fanbase is that they want to hear about the team’s commitment to becoming a World Series contender in the short term, not a focus on long-term sustainability.
To add perspective, only five teams have managed to maintain a 54% or higher winning percentage over the past decade – highlighting the challenge that Dipoto’s plan represents.
Those teams are the Los Angeles Dodgers (61.8%), Houston Astros (57.4%), New York Yankees (56.3%), Cleveland Guardians (54.7%), and St. Louis Cardinals (54.2%), with the Tampa Bay Rays falling just short at 53.8%.
However, many fans remain unconvinced that Dipoto’s emphasis on sustainability is the answer. They argue that part of being a sustainable contender is actually contending, which the Mariners have struggled to achieve this season, failing to build on last year’s playoff appearance.
Needless to say, it seems like Dipoto said the “quiet part out loud.”
What is your take on his comments and overall outlook for the Mariners?