Should the Mariners Be the Favorite To Win It All?

24 years ago, the Seattle Mariners were a force to be reckoned with. Eight All-Stars, two Gold Glovers, the Rookie of the Year and AL MVP, and two future Hall of Famers — the roster was absolutely stacked.

That 2001 Mariners team tied the 1906 Cubs for a major-league record with 116 wins. They were also the third squad in franchise history to win the AL West title. All that was left was to secure the franchise’s first ever World Series title.

But as good as that team was, they ultimately fell short of a championship. They would get steamrolled in the ALCS by a Yankees team that had just won three straight titles, bringing their season to a disappointing end.

There haven’t been many more exciting seasons to speak of since then. Sure, the Mariners haven’t exactly been a team in despair. In the 23 following seasons, they’ve finished over .500 11 times.

Still, Seattle has made the playoffs just one time over that span: in 2022 where they advanced out of the wild-card round before being swept in the ALDS by the eventual champion Astros.

2025 brought early hope for a return to the playoffs. By the end of May, powered by the bat of MVP candidate Cal Raleigh and a strong pitching staff, the Mariners were atop the AL West by a half game.

A few days later, though, they’d be overtaken by the Astros and outside the wild-card picture. By the start of July, they’d be seven games back and it seemed like chasing a wild-card spot would be the most likely result for the season.

But then the Mariners got hot. An eight-game winning streak in early August brought them eye-to-eye with the Astros once again. After falling back into second, a 10-game win streak in September put them in first by themselves.

Then, a seven-game streak down the stretch not only helped secure their first division title in 24 years, but also the second seed and its associated bye in the playoffs. The return to AL West dominance was complete.

Now the postseason begins. And the way things are stacking up, the Mariners have a great chance to reach heights the franchise has never reached before.

Should the Seattle Mariners Be the Favorite To Win It All?

To make a World Series run, it helps to be hot at the right time. That certainly applies to Seattle. At 17-8, they’re tied for the second-best record in MLB since September 1, behind only the AL Central champion Guardians.

They are also one the most well-rounded teams in the playoffs. On offense, the Mariners put up 4.73 runs per game, tied for ninth in MLB and fourth in the AL.

While Raleigh and his historic 60-homer season catch most of the attention, that’s just the start for this team. Eight different Mariners finished the season with a wRC+ above 110.

Among that group is noted postseason legend Randy Arozarena. His ability to mash in the playoffs will be key for Seattle as his 1.104 career playoff OPS is third all-time among players with at least 100 plate appearances.

Seattle is no slouch on the mound either. Their 3.87 ERA as a team was 13th best in MLB this season and sixth in the AL (third among AL playoff teams).