Mariners Make History After Josh Naylor News

On a night when the franchise honored one of its greatest players, the Mariners capped off the celebrations by achieving another historic milestone. Saturday night saw the Mariners immortalize legendary outfielder Ichiro Suzuki in a pregame ceremony, retiring his No. 51 jersey. Suzuki joined Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez, and Jackie Robinson as the only players with retired numbers by the franchise.

The Japanese outfielder spent 14 seasons in Seattle where he won the AL MVP in 2001 and made 10 consecutive All-Star appearances. Suzuki, who was recently enshrined into the Baseball Hall of Fame in January, recorded 2,542 hits, 99 homers, 633 RBIs and 1,181 runs scored in 1,861 games as a Mariner.

The Mariners followed the iconic moment with a performance that showcased their strong run of form, highlighted by Julio Rodriguez’s two homers and Cal Raleigh’s league-leading 44th home run.

Seattle also hit a milestone during the game, becoming the first team in MLB history to hit 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases without being caught stealing over a 10-game span. Notably, this milestone comes largely thanks to the recently acquired Naylor.

Mariners Make MLB History Thanks to Josh Naylor

Just days before this historic achievement, the Mariners announced Naylor had joined Ichiro in franchise history.

"Josh Naylor is the second player in @Mariners history with 2+ stolen bases and 1+ home run in consecutive games, joining Ichiro Suzuki (Sept. 8-9, 2011)," the team wrote on X.

Now, on a day the Mariners honor Suzuki, the make history that is aided by Naylor's recent play.

The Mariners’ current form has them firmly in the mix atop the AL West. Their winning streak—the longest active in the American League—has brought them within a half-game of the Houston Astros for the top spot. Seattle has won 14 games since the All-Star game, tailing only the Milwaukee Brewers (16-4) and Cleveland Guardians (15-6) for the best record in that span.

The Mariners have won eight of their last 10 home games and will hope to ride that momentum when they return to the field on Sunday for the final game of the series against the Rays.