The Mariners return to Seattle with plenty still hanging in the balance, even after a road trip that looked like it might bury their season for good.
A 4-5 trip through the Yankees, Astros and Brewers was better than many expected, especially after that ugly 22-0 loss in Milwaukee. It still doesn’t change how rough this year has been for a team carrying big expectations and very little margin for error.
Injuries piled up, the bullpen has blown too many games, and the offense has not come close to carrying its weight. Even so, at 60-68, the Mariners are somehow still alive in the playoff chase.
The best part of the trip for Seattle came in Houston. Winning two of three against the AL West-leading Astros kept the Mariners within 4.0 games of first place.
That mattered. Another loss there would have left them 6.0 back, and the gap would have felt a lot tougher to close.
Here’s where the division stands now:
Astros: 64-64 (.500)
Rangers: 63-65 (.492), 1.0 game back
Mariners: 60-68 (.469), 4.0 games back
Angels: 51-77 (.398), 13.0 games back
Athletics: 49-79 (.383), 15.0 games back
The numbers may look absurd for a club ranked dead last in the majors in runs per game, but the path is there. FanGraphs still gives the Mariners a 32.1 percent chance to make the playoffs and a 24.6 percent chance to win the division.
Part of that comes down to the schedule. Seattle has the second-easiest remaining strength of schedule at .475, and September brings 17 combined games against the Angels, Athletics and Rockies - the three worst records in the majors.
That easier stretch won’t mean much if the Mariners keep drifting over the next few weeks, though. Their next four series come against three teams in playoff position, plus a Blue Jays club that has climbed to within 0.5 games of a wild card spot.
The AL wild card race looks like this:
Yankees: 72-55 (.567), +9.5
Red Sox: 68-59 (.535), +5.5
Twins: 63-65 (.492), -
Rangers: 63-65 (.492), -
Blue Jays: 63-66 (.488), 0.5
Guardians: 62-66 (.484), 1.0
Tigers: 61-66 (.480), 1.5
Orioles: 61-67 (.477), 2.0
Mariners: 60-68 (.469), 3.0
Seattle opens the homestand with six games against the Cubs and Phillies, which is no gift. The Cubs are 36-27 on the road, and the Phillies are 35-28, good for the fifth- and sixth-best away records in the majors.
The Mariners, meanwhile, are only 33-29 at home, a step down from their usual edge at T-Mobile Park. Still, they’ll be relieved to have these teams in Seattle instead of on the road.
There’s also some fresh buzz attached to the homestand. Kade Anderson is set to make his Major League debut on Saturday, and he’ll be thrown right into the fire against a Cubs lineup that leads the majors in OPS against left-handed pitching.
For a fan base that has been through more than enough heartbreak, hope still feels fragile. But it’s there.
The Mariners probably should not still be in this race, not after the season they’ve put together. Yet they are.
And for now, the question is whether they can finally start playing like the talent on the roster says they should.
In Other News...
Mariners Suddenly Have A Tough Bench Decision Waiting
Brock Rodden has given the Mariners something worth noticing in a very small sample, and he has done it in the kind of way that tends to stick with a bench coach. In six big league games, the rookie has hit .300, piled up three extra-base hits and shown the kind of defensive flexibility that makes a reserve infielder easier to carry on a roster that is always trying to squeeze value out of every spot.
The timing only sharpens the question, because Seattle is headed toward the return of J.P. Crawford from injury, which will force the club to sort out its reserve infield picture. Rodden has been more productive at the plate than Leo Rivas this season, and that creates a real choice rather than a simple numbers move, with the Mariners now weighing whether the hot hand and the versatility are enough to keep him around once Crawford is back. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Finally Make A Prospect Move Fans Have Been Waiting For
The Mariners are bringing Kade Anderson into the big-league picture at a time when every move still feels tied to the postseason race. Seattle has spent much of the season trying to stay within reach in the wild-card hunt, and calling up a top pitching prospect who has carved up Double A is the sort of aggressive decision that signals the front office is still looking for help anywhere it can find it.
Anderson, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 draft, has backed up the hype with the kind of minor league production that made his promotion feel overdue. The next step is a significant one, though, because his first major-league start will come with the Mariners still below .500 and in a spot where every outing can tilt the mood around the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Are Finally Opening The Door For Kade Anderson
The Mariners are lining up Kade Anderson for his first big league start, setting him up to debut against the Cubs as the organization finally creates a path into the rotation. Seattle president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto had already signaled this was the plan, saying Anderson would get the call once a rotation spot opened and calling him the best starting pitcher in the minors.
To make room on the roster, the Mariners are moving Matt Brash to the 60-day injured list, a paperwork step that does not change Brashs return timeline. It is the kind of transaction that can get lost in the shuffle, but it also underscores how carefully Seattle has been managing the moment it wanted Anderson to arrive, and how much attention his debut will draw once he takes the mound. [Read more 🡒]