Oct 17, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) reacts after hitting a home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the eighth inning during game five of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Insider's Prediction Shows Sky-High Mariners Perception Around MLB

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Jan 2, 2026 12:23 PM ET

The vibes are high around the Seattle Mariners.

Seattle had a phenomenal 2025 season and won its first American League West title since 2001. The Mariners finished the campaign with a 90-72 record and are positioned to be even better in 2025. Seattle acquired Josh Naylor ahead of the 2025 season. After the season, the Mariners handed him a nice, long-term deal. So, the Mariners will fortunately get a whole season from Naylor in 2025 along with the stars already on the roster, like Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh.

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The Mariners boast arguably the best overall starting rotation as well right now with Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo, Bryan Woo, George Kirby, and Bryce Miller. Plus, there's still a little over one month left in the offseason for Seattle to add more pieces if the team sees fit.

The Mariners are trending upwards

All in all, things are trending up for the Mariners. So much so that ESPN's Buster Olney shared a "bold" prediction that the Mariners will win the World Series in 2026.

"The Seattle Mariners will win the franchise's first World Series title," Olney wrote. "This will be the year that Julio Rodriguez fully emerges as one of the game's best players, Cal Raleigh continues his reign as the best catcher in the majors and Colt Emerson is promoted to the big leagues in May and wins the AL Rookie of the Year Award. The Mariners are early in an extended period of dominance that will resemble what the Astros accomplished from 2015-24."

This obviously is a prediction and won't dictate whether the Mariners will make a run or not. But it shows how the team is viewed around the league right now. This is an up-and-coming organization with its window to contention just starting to open up. Seattle made it all the way to the American League Championship Series in 2025 and should be even better in 2026.

This is a team that fans can be excited about, barring health and injuries, of course.

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This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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