Mariners ready to challenge Astros in AL West: 'We're not going anywhere'

After snapping baseball's longest postseason drought last season, the Seattle Mariners are entering 2023 hungry for more.

Seattle advanced to the American League Division Series last season, ultimately falling in a three-game sweep against the division-rival Houston Astros.

Despite the outcome, Mariners manager Scott Servais said his team stacks up well with the defending World Series champions.

"Last time I checked, we played them three really good games and were probably one swing of the bat away from winning all three of those games," Servais said Wednesday, according to Larry Stone of the Seattle Times.

"They go on to win the World Series. They're a really good team, and they're not going anywhere. We're a really good team, we're not going anywhere."

The Mariners have undergone some notable changes this offseason. The club lost Mitch Haniger, Adam Frazier, and Carlos Santana from last year's squad and acquired Teoscar Hernandez, Kolten Wong, AJ Pollock, and Tommy La Stella.

General manager Jerry Dipoto said he's confident last season's playoff experience will serve Seattle well in 2023.

"We've never been more convinced of this team's ability to do those things than we were at the end of last season," Dipoto said. "I think that goes for all the players in the clubhouse, it goes for us in the front office, our staff."

Dipoto added that the Mariners' objective this season is to knock off the Astros and claim the division's top spot.

"That's the goal … and that will be goal every year, to win the division, get into the postseason and try to do some damage."