Seattle Mariners: 10 Biggest Questions for the Second Half

The odds of the Seattle Mariners competing for a playoff spot are extremely low, but that doesn't mean there aren't things to watch for in the second half.

Even though their losing streak—and the Texas Rangers' winning streak—continues to grow, the Mariners aren't devoid of story lines. 

Can Michael Pineda hold off a surging Jeremy Hellickson and Mark Trumbo for the Rookie of the Year award?

Could Dustin Ackley, who's only been in the league for three weeks, actually make a run at it?

Can Felix Hernandez put together another terrific second half to win the Cy Young?

Will Justin Smoak start hitting again? Or will anyone hit for power?

These are only a few of the questions that surround the Mariners as they head into the second half of the season. Here's a look at the rest.  

When Will Michael Pineda Be Shut Down?

Fangraphs recently took a look at the most innings from a rookie pitcher over the past four years.

The average first-year pitcher, they found, started about 30 games for almost 178 innings.

Mariners young ace Michael Pineda has already started 18 games and pitched 113 innings. However, Pineda throws much harder than any of the guys on that earlier list, and therefore could be shut down earlier, especially if the Mariners are out of contention.

The M's need to be very careful with their prized 22-year-old.

My guess? Pineda is shut down after 150 innings. 

How Many Different Batting Lineups Can Eric Wedge Come Up With?

While I couldn't find the actual stat, I'm fairly sure I read something a few days ago that said manager Eric Wedge had made 81 different batting orders in just 89 games, or something similar to that.

It's like he has a random lineup generator app or something. 

Considering the Mariners have struggled just a little bit (sarcasm) at the plate, you can't really blame Wedge, but you have to think he could find at least one order he likes after 80 attempts. 

The amazing amount of unique lineups is also understandable considering the infuse of young players, and I don't think the mix ups will end anytime soon.

What else could we see?

Dustin Ackley at cleanup? Or Carlos Peguero? Kyle Seager at No. 2? Jason Vargas at DH?

Only time will tell. 

Who Will the Mariners Get Rid Of?

It's starting to become clear that the Mariners won't be buyers at the deadline, which should please most fans.

While they might not get much value for some of their current players, there are some departures that would certainly excite some people.

Chone Figgins, who still has a couple years left on his contract, is wanted out by almost everyone. Even if the Mariners could get a $25 gift card to Red Lobster for him, I think they would be happy.

Jack Wilson and Erik Bedard are other possible trade targets. Wilson has nice defense at shortstop, and if Bedard can prove he's healthy, he could attract a nice price, as he's been pitching extremely well this season.  

Who WIll the Mariners Acquire?

Even if the Mariners don't use the trade deadline to get into contention, that doesn't mean they won't try to get a much-needed hitter that could also help in the future. 

Ryan Ludwick is a guy that is team owned through the end of 2012 and might be a target for Seattle. Really, though, anyone who isn't too expensive and isn't just a half-season rental should be on Jack Zdurencik's radar.

If they don't make any moves for major league hitters, it will still be interesting to see if Seattle can acquire any type of mid-level prospects. 

Who Will Win the Rookie of the Year Race?

Michael Pineda is the obvious favorite for American League Rookie of the Year right now. However, will he be able to hold off guys like Jeremy Hellickson, Eric Hosmer, Mark Trumbo, Aaron Crow and even, dare I say it, Dustin Ackley?

Dustin Ackley, after just three weeks, has a WAR (Wins Above Replacement) of 1.2. That is simply astounding. Michael Pineda, on the other hand, has an impressive WAR of 2.6. 

If Ackley continues his torrid pace in the second half of the season, the Rookie of the Year race could easily come down to Pineda and Ackley.

How fun would that be?  

Will Felix Hernandez Get Back to Cy Young Form?

Felix Hernandez currently has a 3.19 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. Those numbers, while terrific, are still a ways off what Felix did last year to win the Cy Young award (2.27 ERA and 1.06 WHIP).

Last year, however, Felix had similar stats to this year at the half way mark of the season. In the second half, he did something special, putting together a 1.53 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in 15 starts. The King was nearly unhittable. 

Can he do it again? 

What Draft Pick Will the Mariners Get?

The Mariners have shown what they can with a No. 2 pick the last two years, as Dustin Ackley has already turned into a stud, and Danny Hultzen is supposedly only a year or two from being major league ready. 

While it's not the most fun thing to look forward to, the Mariners probably won't be making the playoffs, so it will be interesting to see where they might land in next year's draft.

The Mariners are currently projected to get the eighth pick, and if things start getting worse, I know I'm not opposed to rooting for the young guys to have success, but to lose a few more games.

It's all part of the rebuilding process. 

Can Dustin Ackley Hit over .300?

It's starting to be clear that Dustin Ackley is the Mariners only chance at having a .300 hitter.

He's currently hitting .304, but, since he's only had 69 at bats, that will fluctuate a lot. 

When the Mariners inevitably get made fun of for having one of the worst offenses ever, it will be nice to have Dustin Ackley and a .300 hitter to throw back at them.

It's the little things, right? 

Can Ichiro Suzuki Reach 200 Hits?

Ichiro Suzuki, since coming to the majors, has put together 10 straight 200-hit seasons. 

Assuming he gets somewhere around his career average of 691 at bats, Ichiro is currently on pace for just 186 hits. 

If he wants to keep his streak going (he also has a streak of 10 straight .300 seasons that is in major jeopardy), the current .270 hitter will really have to turn it on in the second half. 

For the record, Ichiro is a career .323 second-half hitter versus a .331 first-half average. 

Will Anyone Hit for Power?

If the Mariners want to start drawing some fans without winning games, they will have to start putting some runs on the board.

A nice way to do that, contrary to the team's popular belief, is with home runs. 

Justin Smoak and Miguel Olivo have shown that they can do that a little bit, but they have both really slowed down as of late. They each have 12 at the break to lead the team.

Possibly even more depressing is the production out of Seattle's DHs. The DH, so far this season, has hit .215 with just four home runs. 

And amazingly, even worse is the production from the Mariners' cleanup hitters. The No. 4 guy this season is hitting .193 with four home runs and 34 RBI. To put it kindly, that's pathetic.

If you want another depressing stat, and I'm sure you do, the Mariners are last in the majors with a slugging percentage of .331. Yes, it's worse than San Diego's.

Jack Cust (68 AB/HR this season, career average of 19.9), I'm looking at you in the second half.