Normally, opening day in Major League Baseball serves as the pinnacle for optimism, even if such positivity is unwarranted. But when your team just snapped a 21-year playoff drought and compounded that euphoria with a historic comeback playoff victory, the buzz begins much sooner.
Spring training is upon us, with Mariners pitchers and catchers reporting to camp in Peoria, Arizona, on Wednesday and position players joining them soon after. It's a time not only to savor the potential of a team (seemingly) on the rise, but to speculate as to how far it can go.
No one could blame fans for letting their minds wander. Not after the M's played the 2022 World Series champion Astros tight for three games, knowing a swing here or there could have swung the series.
