COLUMN: The Mariners need to win on the road

As of Wednesday morning, the Mariners are on a 10-game win streak, the highest of any team in the entire MLB. The second closest team is the Toronto Blue Jays, who are on a six-game win streak.

The Blue Jays currently sit firmly in first place in the American League. The Mariners are currently fourth with an 83-68 record. Easily one of the hottest teams in the MLB, Seattle is well-equipped to make their final push for a top playoff spot.

However, there’s some work to do on their part.

Currently, the Mariners are 35-41 on the road. Even if they sweep the Royals and Astros, they will finish with a losing record on the road. The three teams above them in the AL, the Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees, currently have winning records on the road. Teams below them, like the Astros, Boston Red Sox or Cleveland Guardian,s either have winning records or could easily turn it around after a couple of games on the road.

It may seem like cherry-picking, but it’s clear that one of the main obstacles that stands in the way of the Mariners’ World Series hopes is their ability to win away games. If they are destined to make a deep playoff run, they’ll have to be productive when traveling away from home field. Even if they can improve their road win/loss record by much, the time to build momentum in away games is now.

The Mariners have five more road games as of Sept. 17, two games against the Royals and a three-game series against the Astros. From there, they’ll get six straight home games to finish the regular season. If the Mariners are able to win on the road in this final stretch, the momentum from that will work wonders for them in the playoffs.

Undoubtedly, the Mariners have the pieces in place to make these adjustments and make a deep playoff run. Of course, Cal Raleigh remains a superstar for Seattle. He is in the top three in home runs, RBI and OPS. Without him, the Mariners lose a spark that has pushed them a long way this year.

Julio Rodriguez is a key contributor. He is currently in the top 50 in batting average and OPS. He is also in the top 20 in home runs and RBIs.

Also, the additions of Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez have allowed the Mariners to take the necessary next step. On the road and at home, the Mariners were average. Ever since the trade deadline, they have widened the win/loss differential at home and strung together several streaks of victories.

The Mariners are poised and a well-rounded team. Their potential to have great success in the postseason is limitless. However, they still need to execute. I imagine the talk in the dugout is that every game from here on out is a playoff game. Ever since the trade deadline, the regular season might as well have been over.

The moves they made were playoff moves by a front office that clearly believes they have a shot at a World Series Championship.