To get where they want to be, the Mariners need a lot of things to break right. Their headline-grabbing prospects need to pop, sure, but some of the under-the-radar minor leaguers becoming useful MLB players would make things much easier as well. If those things go according to plan, the Mariners are still left with a young and inexperienced team that has limited service time and even less playoff experience.
Filling out the rest of the roster – the bench bats, fourth and fifth starters, relief pitchers, etc. – could be the difference between knocking on the postseason door and ripping that sucker off its hinges.