Whenever a trade deadline rolls around, it’s always a great opportunity to assess your favorite team’s production. For the Seattle Mariners, they sit right on the fence of opportunity.  

Depending on what moves they make before the trade deadline July 31, they could go from just being a playoff hopeful to a World Series contender. Their success this season cannot be denied.  

As it currently stands, the Mariners are 54-47 and fifth in the American League. With their current position, making the playoffs feels more likely than in past years, where they have just missed out. Thanks in part to the performance of catcher, Cal “Big Dumper” Raleigh, this season.  

Raleigh is putting together an MVP-level season and currently is one of the leaders in that conversation. Raleigh leads the league in home runs, is second in RBI’s and third in On-base Plus Slugging. He has proven to be one of the most productive offensive weapons you could have in baseball. Not to mention his standout performance in the All-Star week, winning the home run derby.  

When a sports team has a player like Raleigh, it is imperative to capitalize on the moment and not let it go to waste. The Mariners need to seize the moment and put as many players in the dugout as possible who are going to help put them over the hump.  

Conversation around the league has seen a lot of mention of the Mariners trading for Eugenio Suarez. A former Mariner, Suarez is having a great season with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He sits right behind Raliegh in home runs and is first in RBIs.  

If the Mariners can negotiate a reunion with Suarez, the offensive production could reach the next level. Current Mariners like J.P. Crawford, Julio Rodriguez and Randy Arozarena have been good at getting on base, in addition to Raleigh. If the Mariners could add Suarez to that group, the wins may start raining down and they may be playing for higher seeding in the playoffs.  

However, it’s going to be a challenge to pull off a trade for Suarez since he is also having an MVP-level season. A reunion is not possible without giving up some valuable roster pieces. 

Statistics are not everything. However, some can make a big difference in a team's long-term success. One statistic the Mariners, as a team, need to work on is their record at home. Whether or not they make big moves at the trade deadline, this is something they can improve on in the second half of the season.  

The four teams above the Mariners in the American League have a win/loss differential of 10 or higher. Even the Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers, who sit below the Mariners in the AL, have that differential. The Mariners have a five-game differential with a record of 28-23. 

When I look at that record, it tells me it’s really a coin toss if the Mariners win when they are at home. When a team is hosting its opponent, they are supposed to have a homefield advantage. That’s the point. When your team is at home, you’re supposed to win more often than not.  

I understand there are a lot of games to play in the MLB season. However, that’s why it’s all the more imperative to widen that differential as much as possible. The Mariners are a few games going the wrong way from that record, matching their win/loss record on the road, which is worse at 26-24.  

If the Mariners can pull off a trade for Suarez and start winning at home more often, not only will they be playoff-bound or playing for a top-three seed, but a World Series run will not be outside the realm of possibility. If the Mariners make a run at a World Series championship, it will be one of the most memorable seasons in the organization's history.