You’ve probably heard it more than once: the Mariners overperformed in 2021. If you’re anything like me, you’re sick of hearing it. The fact that the Mariners’ actual win-loss record didn’t correspond to their Pythagorean record has been held over their heads all offseason, with some using it to argue that the team must drastically improve to repeat their surprising success, others simply using it to cheapen their 90-win effort.
What everyone seems to agree on is how they managed to outperform their run differential. With the Mariners going an incredible 33-19 in one-run games, they repeatedly excelled in high-leverage situations.