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At least IMHO that is highly possible.
Basically...I'm saying that not only are the other teams better at forming a game plan to beat our hitters, even if they get good contact, but they're better at forming a game plan to beat our defense too (and other teams' defenses). That our being behind when it comes to constructing a game plan is not just costing us in terms of their guys being in position to stop our deep fly balls....but also in terms of their guys getting the hits to fall in against us because they're adjusting to the way we play them (and a lot better than we adjust to what they're doing against us).
Again...I'm not saying this is the whole problem, and even if it were...it's not ALL management's fault. We are a very young team, and young players are inherently worse at APPLYING a game plan...so it may be that we have game plan WIZARDS in the dugout, but the hitters aren't doing what we tell them to do because they're young and nervous and raw.
This sort of game plan thing includes not just how to make hard contact (which we're doing) but how to read a defense and the pitches and make hard contact in the direction that maximizes your odds of something good happening on said hard contact. If the other guys put the overshift on you, and the pitcher throws the ball on the outside part of the plate...a good, experienced hitter whacks it to the opposite field...end of overshift. Our guys are griding the bat into saw dust and hitting a hard grounder or line drive or even fly ball into the shift side. It's solid contact, but it's not the type that will give you the expected probabiltiy of success given the defensive alignment. KnowwhatImean? :)
It's a complex issue...but I think there is a core problem in Seattle with teaching players how to use the opposing tema's game plan against them...or even be aware that the other guys HAVE a game plan.