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In response to a column about the Mariners' "situational hitting" woes, Derek Zumsteg brings the truth:

The M's suck at advancing runners because they suck at hitting. They're at or near the bottom any way you want to sort the teams. They don't hit for average, they don't get on base, they don't hit for power. It's Ichiro, Branyan, Gutierrez, and a collection of average-to-sucky guys.

Teams that don't hit don't hit with guys on base. There's no approach, no spring training drills, that teams that can't hit can use to become way more awesome with runners on. Advancing the runner with a bunt is generally a wash because you're giving up an out, and you know the rest of this argument. And conversely, teams that hit don't have to figure out why they're not scoring enough runners, because they score because they're hitting ... tada! Triumph of the obvious.

--snip--

There's no need to overthink this, or for the team to (as they did in past years to disastrous results) go find a guy they think is a good situational hitter.

All of which you probably know already. I just thought Derek's point about the M's having too many "sucky-to-average guys" is a good jumping-off point for a larger discussion: Where are the Mariners, right now, in the success cycle?

For much of the season, they surprised all of us by hanging around the fringes of the playoff picture. With Jarrod Washburn gone and Erik Bedard on the DL, those dreams are now dead. Still, it's been an encouraging season, at least in terms of wins and losses. But the Mariners are last in the American League in scoring (and yes, I'm as shocked as anyone that the M's have somehow scored fewer runs than the Royals).

Thanks (in part) to Ichiro Suzuki, they're ninth in the league in batting average, but (thanks in part to Ichiro Suzuki) they're 12th in home runs and 14th in walks (there are, by the way, only 14 teams in the league).

Is help on the way?

Rookie outfielder Michael Saunders has struggled since joining the big club last month, but eventually he will hit. The same goes for Mike Carp, who presumably will supplant Ken Griffey Jr. as the club's primary DH next season. Local product Matt Tuiasosopo has done some nice things in the minors and might eventually become a pretty good third baseman in the majors.

Even if all those players blossom, the M's still figure to have holes at shortstop and catcher, at least in terms of run production. But hey, nobody's perfect. Which the Mariners may prove with some enthusiasm. As they wait for this new crop of hitter to mature, they'll have to suffer the absence or decline of Adrian Beltre, Russell Branyan, and perhaps even the great Ichiro himself.

The long-term prognosis doesn't look so bad. But the growing pains might be a bit ugly. Perhaps the only bright note at the moment is that there's nowhere to go but up.