The math is done, and so is Seattle’s 2026 postseason chase.
Texas’ 3-1 win over the Mets on Thursday gave the Rangers their 79th victory, which officially eliminated the Mariners. Seattle was sitting at 74-84 with four games left, and even a spotless finish would only get them to 78 wins. The calculator can go back in the drawer.
That leaves the final four games against the Angels with a very different purpose. The Mariners no longer need to manage the standings. They need to learn something useful about 2027.
That starts with giving Michael Arroyo a real look. Seattle promoted him with the idea that he could move around, handling second base and left field, though the organization’s message was clear enough: those spots are part of the package, but the bat is what made him interesting.
So far, the playing time has been tiny. Entering Thursday, Arroyo had just 23 at-bats in 11 games, hit .304/.414/.522 in that sample, and started only three games at second base with none in left field.
If the Mariners want to know whether his defensive home is actually viable, they have to stop pretending a handful of cameos will answer it.
They should also give him more than the usual pinch-hit look after a long night on the bench. Let him face both right-handers and left-handers.
Let him take four plate appearances. The whole point is to gather information, not preserve mystery.
Lazaro Montes deserves the same kind of extended evaluation, only louder. His .182 average entering Thursday doesn’t jump off the page, but the rest of the line explains why this can’t be treated like a final judgment.
He has four home runs in 44 at-bats, along with 22 strikeouts. That’s the scouting report in living color: massive power, massive swing-and-miss, and a need for more big-league pitching.
The Mariners need to let him keep working through it.
The same logic applies to the bullpen. Seattle needs to figure out which relievers can stand next to Andrés Muñoz next season, and that means more than low-stress innings.
Carlos Vargas, José A. Ferrer and Cooper Criswell should get the uncomfortable spots if the game calls for them.
Muñoz himself does not need more on his plate. He recently left an appearance with right knee discomfort, and there’s no good reason for Seattle to keep chasing saves with him in a season that’s already gone. The Mariners need him healthy for 2027 more than they need him finishing a meaningless game in September.
Brendan Donovan is in a different category entirely. His concussion recovery should stay focused on his health, full stop.
Seattle should still compete, though. Arroyo, Montes and the relievers who get chances should all be expected to help beat the Angels.
Evaluation and effort can live in the same game. What the Mariners can’t afford now is falling back on the same lineup just because Dan Wilson trusts those players most.
They spent a lot of this season waiting for the turnaround that never came. Thursday’s result finally ended the wait. The playoff race is over, the math is dead, and the rest of the way belongs to 2027.
In Other News...
Mariners Next Manager Call May Come Down To One Crucial Choice
As the Mariners look ahead to 2027, the conversation around their next manager is already beginning to take shape with Dan Wilson unlikely to return. One name that naturally fits into the discussion is Torey Lovullo, the current Diamondbacks manager, who brings both experience and a past connection to Seattle executive Jerry Dipoto.
Lovullo is in the final year of his contract in Arizona, and his status there is far from settled, which only adds another layer to Seattles planning. For the Mariners, the appeal is obvious: a familiar baseball mind with a track record and an existing relationship in the front office, even if the timing and the broader managerial market could end up deciding how real that fit becomes. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Just Gave The AL West Race New Life
The Mariners turned a tense night at T-Mobile Park into one that matters all over the American League West, erasing a 4-0 hole and outlasting the Astros 6-5 in 10 innings. Josh Naylor delivered the walk-off RBI single, while Dominic Canzone and Julio Rodriguez chipped in key RBI hits and Cooper Criswell helped steady things with a strong bullpen effort.
For Seattle, the win did more than protect pride in one game. It kept the division chase alive in a real way, but the math remains unforgiving: the Mariners still need to win their final four games and get some help from both Houston and Texas if theyre going to finish the job and take the AL West. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Are Finally Near A Dan Wilson Decision Fans Expected Much Sooner
Dan Wilsons tenure in the Mariners dugout appears to be nearing its end, and the timing has the feel of something the club has been bracing for rather than reacting to. A resolution on his future is expected shortly after the 2026 season wraps, with the most likely window coming around the Tuesday after the final game, and the front office may use a press conference to explain where things stand. John Stanton and Jerry Dipoto are expected to be central voices if and when the club addresses the move.
For Seattle, the bigger picture is less about the formality of the announcement than what comes next. Wilsons exit is expected to be presented as a mutual parting rather than a clean firing, which would soften the edges of a significant transition while still signaling a new direction. The Mariners are already weighing potential replacements, even if no official decision has been made, and the lingering question now is how quickly the organization moves from the end of one era to the start of the next. [Read more 🡒]