After barely missing the playoffs last year, the Seattle Mariners' season of high expectations begins Friday in Minnesota. Sports commentator Art Thiel joins KNKX Morning Edition host Kirsten Kendrick to talk about all the anticipation.
With a rookie phenom on the roster, is this the year the Mariners finally return to the playoffs?
![Seattle Mariners rookie phenom Julio Rodriguez signs autographs before a spring training baseball game in Peoria, Ariz.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1bff6f9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/663x442+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd1%2F1c%2Fa34557e241cfb75af0bc803dc9f7%2Fmariners-jrod.jpg)
Darron Cummings
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The Associated Press