The Mariners rebuild is going quite well. And while it may be painful to watch at the big league level, everything below the surface is going well. Seattle’s player development system is working. They are drafting well. And their international scouting is a solid as they come.
Because these particular skills aren’t yet showing dividends, they are largely going unnoticed. But their importance cannot be overstated. The Mariners will need to draft players they can develop, and along with being aggressive in the upper-middle class of free agency, this will be the path towards breaking their long playoff drought.