The Seattle Mariners came out of last year’s postseason run looking like a club built to keep rolling. This season has been a different story. The run-scoring has dried up, the lineup has gone quiet in too many spots, and even an elite-looking rotation has had to navigate some rough patches.
Logan Gilbert and George Kirby have both dealt with command issues, but the bigger problem has been on the other side of the ball. The offense just isn’t carrying its weight. Julio Rodriguez has been inconsistent, and Cal Raleigh hasn’t looked like the slugger he was in 2025.
Hoping to juice that group, Seattle went after Taylor Ward before the trade deadline. Ward had been productive with the Baltimore Orioles, but his first week in a Mariners uniform didn’t change much.
He went 4-for-23, and while he wasn’t solely responsible for the team’s struggles, the spark never showed up. Seattle lost 2 of 3 to the Detroit Tigers, then got swept 3-0 by the Tampa Bay Rays.
That skid has already pushed the Mariners down in Bleacher Report’s latest power rankings. Joel Reuter moved them from No. 16 to No. 23.
"According to the postseason odds at FanGraphs, the Mariners dropped from a 50.5 percent chance of reaching the playoffs on deadline day to a 29.1 percent chance as of Sunday. Deadline addition Taylor Ward went 4-for-23 with zero walks in his first week in Seattle after walking an AL-leading 87 times in 111 games with the Orioles."
Now the schedule turns even sharper. Seattle opens a series against the New York Yankees this week before taking on the division rival Houston Astros, and the Mariners are going to need the offense to wake up fast if they want to steady things.
In Other News...
Cal Raleigh Just Sparked A Bigger Mariners Blame Debate
Cal Raleigh didnt try to pass the buck after another rough stretch for the Mariners. Instead, the catcher owned his own performance, acknowledged the offense has fallen short and suggested the group needs to make some adjustments in how it is going about its business. In a season where the lineup has too often stalled, that kind of blunt self-assessment stands out because it comes with a clear message about where the accountability starts.
Raleigh also drew a line around the larger conversation, defending the front office and coaching staff while saying the players are the ones responsible for the teams current problems. For a Mariners club already dealing with bigger questions about roster construction and decision-making, his comments sharpen an old debate rather than settle it. The tension now is whether that internal message sparks a real change in approach, or simply adds another layer to the pressure surrounding a team that still has to prove it can turn frustration into results. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Pressure Is Rising Around Dan Wilson And His Staff
The Angels latest round of coaching changes offered a familiar reminder of how quickly a season can turn into a referendum on the people in the dugout. After poor results piled up, Los Angeles moved on from pitching coach Mike Maddux, bullpen coach Dom Chiti and assistant pitching coach Darryl Scott, and the explanation included concern that the staff was not making enough use of available technology. It was another example of an organization deciding the message had to change when the performance did not.
For the Mariners, that kind of shakeup is only going to sharpen the attention already circling Dan Wilson and his staff. Seattles struggles have put Wilson under scrutiny, and the hitting side has not escaped it, with Edgar Martinez and Kevin Seitzer part of the conversation as the club looks for answers. Other teams, including the Phillies and Red Sox, have already shown how quickly front offices will redraw the map when results lag, and that is the backdrop hanging over Seattle now. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Add Catching Insurance Behind Cal Raleigh
The Mariners added a little catching depth to the organization this week, claiming Willie MacIver off waivers from the Blue Jays and sending him to Triple-A Tacoma. It is a straightforward move on the surface, but one that fits the kind of roster housekeeping contending clubs often do when they want to keep the position insulated without forcing a bigger shuffle at the major league level.
MacIver gives Seattle another name to stash in the system behind Cal Raleigh and the rest of the current catching group, with the club having room on its 40-man roster to make the claim. The Blue Jays had just designated MacIver for assignment after picking him up from the Rangers, so the Mariners were able to jump in and add an experienced depth option while leaving the bigger question of how far he might climb in the organization for later. [Read more 🡒]