The Seattle Mariners are not a great baseball team.
James Paxton sits on a golden throne placed atop the remnants of a disastrous starting rotation.
A similar scene can be painted of Edwin Diaz and the bullpen.
Their $24 million All-Star second baseman just received a hefty 80-game suspension.
Their second and third highest paid offensive stars are both hitting just .228 over a combined 324 plate appearances.
Yet, the Mariners are 27-19. They sit a game-and-a-half in the lead for the AL’s second Wild Card berth. It’s early, but they weren’t supposed to be in this position at any point this season.