A staff of aces... but not much else right now from the Mariners' early season

We should be excited about the Mariners. Sure, we’re only 31 games into the season, but they’re in first place in the AL West at 17-14 heading into Friday's game, and they have the best starting rotation in the division, maybe in the majors.

I’ve seen betting odds at 18-1 on the Mariners to win the World Series, which is as low as I can remember seeing them since 2001. Keep in mind, as you no doubt have, they’re the only MLB team that has never appeared in a World Series... much less won it all.

With their pitching staff in a seven-game playoff series, the Mariners would have a great chance of prevailing. Think about that: Luis Castillo in Game 1, George Kirby in Game 2, Logan Gilbert in Game 3 and Bryce Miller in Game 4. It’s a recipe for a sweep, or at least a terrific opportunity to win three out of four, and you’d like the potential of wrapping it up with Castillo in Game 5 or Kirby in Game 6.

The starters have been on a historic run of late, shutting down high-scoring teams such as the Diamondbacks and Braves.

But as you’ve noticed, the Mariners can’t hit. Or maybe they can but just haven’t as yet. Felix Hernandez must watch these games and nod his head, remembering what that was like.

Their strikeouts are most appalling. Team president Jerry Dipoto tried to address the issue by unloading the two biggest whiffers from last season, trading Eugenio Suarez to Arizona and not re-signing free agent Teoscar Hernandez, who ended up with the Dodgers.

The Mariners set a franchise record last year by striking out 1,603 times, but here we go again -- the Mariners lead MLB with 323 strikeouts. That's an average of more than 10 a game!

So in their last 193 games, we’ve watched the Mariners strike out 1,926 times and figure to hit 2,000 before the middle of May. Julio Rodriguez (40), Jorge Polanco (39), Cal Raleigh (37), Mitch Haniger (36) and Mitch Garver (31) have accounted for the majority of those strikeouts.

I admit to not really coming around on the notion that strikeouts are OK in today’s game. I don’t know, I just like seeing more balls in play than balls in the catcher’s glove when I’m paying $15 for beers. Apparently the thought of choking up on the bat and not swinging for the fences when you have two strikes is so yesterday, as in decades ago.

But if you’re gonna strike out so much, you should have power numbers to go with it. I'll acknowledge that to a degree, that’s happening with Raleigh and Haniger, and maybe even a little with Polanco.

Garver’s been terrible and Julio’s been disappointing. The Mariners’ supposed superstar is off to another slow start, though now strangely sporting a solid .270 batting average after collecting three hits Wednesday in a 5-2 loss to the Braves.

He’s flashed infrequent power, with just one home run and four doubles. It’s crazy to think he’s on a pace for only five homers and 20 doubles in a season in which he was projected to be an MVP candidate.

The lineup overall was touted by Scott Servais as being the deepest he’s had as the manager in Seattle, but it’s currently one of the weakest in MLB, ranking 29th in average (.219) and OPS (.649).

Now, one way to look at the Mariners’ offense, and Julio in particular, is that there’s just no way this will continue. The batters will turn into hitters soon, because they can’t possibly be this bad forever.

Problem is, by the time they get better, if they do, the pitching staff can’t possibly maintain the pace they’re on now. But I could see a scenario in which the starters might keep throwing gem after gem - they’re that good - and injuries might be the only thing preventing that from happening.

Well, maybe it’s not the only thing. The Mariners’ team defense is average at best. Metrics show they’re below average at the corner outfield spots and with J.P. Crawford at short and Polanco at second. Josh Rojas has been surprisingly good at third, but Ty France remains so-so at first.

Haniger has committed four errors, more than any other outfielder, and his dropped fly ball on Wednesday led to four unearned runs.

Perhaps the Mariners will address these shortcomings before the trade deadline on July 31, but to think they’ll make a big splash in that department is foolish when history tells us that ripples are more likely.

It’s been simultaneously exhilarating and unsettling to watch the Mariners so far, knowing they can win every game because of their pitching or lose every game because of their hitting.

Which unfortunately is a combination, until rectified, of another Mariners team that won’t make the playoffs.

Jim Moore is a longtime Pacific Northwest sportswriter and writes an occasional column for the Kitsap Sun. Contact Jim at jimmoorethego2guy@yahoo.com and follow him on Twitter @cougsgo.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: In praise of Seattle pitching, but Mariners' hitting flaws run deep