Can Dustin Ackley and Seattle Mariners' New Blood Fuel Playoff Push?

The Seattle Mariners have already seen 10 rookies play for the big club this season. The rookies haven't disappointed, but are they enough to carry the Mariners to the playoffs?

Michael Pineda has blown everyone's expectations out of the water.

We had to wait a while for Dustin Ackley, but it looks like the wait was worth it.

It appears Blake Beavan was a terrific addition to the Cliff Lee deal.

A bevy of left fielders have made their own type of impact.

It's all been fun to watch, but are the young guys enough?

2B: Dustin Ackley

Age: 23

What He's Done

Dustin Ackley has made the quickest impact of any Mariner in recent history. In just two weeks, Ackley has solidified himself as one of the best hitters on the team.

Ackley has already compiled two triples, two home runs, seven RBI and five walks to just five strikeouts. He's also played defense above and beyond what anyone was expecting.

It's a small sample size, but the No. 2 overall pick from the 2009 draft looks like he isn't going to disappoint.

Good Enough for a Playoff Push?

Absolutely.

OF: Carlos Peguero

Age: 24

What He's Done

Since being called up from Triple-A, Carlos Peguero has immediately added power to this lineup. However, that's pretty much all he's added.

Peguero has six home runs, which is nice. The .203 batting average and 34 percent strikeout rate, on the other hand, are not nice.

The 24-year-old's defense has been less than stellar as well. He often looks lost in left field, and while he has been better as of late, his UZR stands at -2.2.

While Peguero has sometimes been fun to watch, he still looks like a poor man's version of Pedro Cerrano. Until he can start hitting something other than a fastball, he's just not good enough.

Good Enough for a Playoff Push?

Not quite.

OF: Greg Halman

Age: 23

What He's Done

Greg Halman came into the majors firing on all cylinders, recording six hits in his first seven at-bats. While he has obviously cooled off considerably, the young kid from the Netherlands still holds a .311 average with a home run and three stolen bases.

Still, color me not convinced.

Halman is walking only four percent of the time and is striking out 31 percent of the time. Not good.

The 23-year-old currently holds a BABIP of .433, and while he is fast and therefore likely to have a high BABIP, there is no way he keeps it above .400. That batting average is sure to fall below .300 and probably below .260.

Halman has offered average defense in left and less than average defense in center.

Good Enough for a Playoff Push?

Nope. I can see him as a backup left or center fielder on a playoff team. But with the options in front of him, he's not good enough.

OF: Mike Carp

Age: 25

What He's Done

After tearing up Triple-A for a couple of months, Mike Carp finally got the call back to the majors.

However, after finally making his way to Seattle, Carp again disappointed. He didn't get a whole lot of opportunities, but the .200 average, zero home runs and zero RBI certainly wasn't ideal.

This marks Carp's third very limited MLB stint, and I'm still not convinced that he can't produce in the majors. I'd just like to see more.

Carp was recently sent back down to Triple-A to make room for Blake Beavan, but it sounds as if Eric Wedge is planning on bringing him back up once everyone is healthy.

Good Enough for a Playoff Push?

The jury is still out. Like Halman, though, I wouldn't mind having him as a backup if the starter was better.

SP: Michael Pineda

Age: 22

What He's Done

Everyone knows what Michael Pineda has done by now. He's far exceeded everyone's expectations. 

Eight wins. Sub-three ERA. 8.8 K/9. Simply dominating at times. There's not much more that he could have done at this point.

Good Enough for a Playoff Push?

Of course. The only question is how far into the year he will be pitching.

SP: Blake Beavan

Age: 22

What He's Done

Blake Beavan was incredibly impressive in his major league debut. Sure, it was against the Padres, but Beavan went seven innings, giving up just one run on three hits.

Before that start, Beavan had been doing more of the same in Triple-A. During his last seven starts in Tacoma, Beavan put up a 2.93 ERA, and that's counting a miserable start in which he gave up six runs.

The 22-year-old will probably only get one more start before he's sent back down to Tacoma, but he's shown that he can pitch at the major league level.

Good Enough for a Playoff Push?

The sample is small, but I think so. The staff is good enough. If the Mariners are still in it in September and want to shut down Pineda, I would be confident with Beavan as the fifth starter.

Conclusion

The Seattle Mariners have seen quite a youth movement this year, and for the most part it has been successful.

Because of rookies, the Mariners have seen an upgrade at first base, second base and their starting rotation.

This team was bad coming into the season, though. There are still more holes throughout the lineup, such as left field, third base and DH.

When it comes down to it, therein lies the problem. These young guys are being asked to cover up for underperforming veterans and not being asked to simply be solid additions. They aren't quite ready to full-on carry a team to the playoffs.

The young blood isn't enough...yet.