Mariners’ nightmare scenario for 2025 MLB playoffs

The Seattle Mariners were eliminated from postseason contention last season, but they’re well on their way to making their first playoff appearance since 2022. With Cal Raleigh leading the way behind his league-best 56 home runs, the Mariners could become a sneaky team for anyone to face in a seven-game series. However, they still need things to fall into position for their best possible chance to make the franchise’s first World Series.

The Mariners have been on fire as of late, posting a 9-1 record in their last 10 games. They currently trail the Houston Astros by just a half-game and with this final 10-game stretch approaching, the Mariners could easily win this division if they’re able to keep this momentum going. We’ll learn much more about this race when the Mariners visit the Astros for a three-game series during the weekend.

While they can stand to achieve the No. 3-seed, they’d be likely to play the Boston Red Sox during that series, a team they’ve gone back-and-forth with all season to the tune of 3-3. Naturally, we wouldn’t be surprised seeing a Game 7 out of that matchup. If the season ended today, however, the Mariners would be slated to take on the No. 4 Yankees from the No. 5 spot. So which scenario would the Seattle Mariners most prefer to avoid?

Mariners’ worst playoff situation

As the current playoff picture stands, the Seattle Mariners would in-fact prefer to overtake the Houston Astros for the American League West Division, securing the No. 3-seed in the Postseason. This would pin them up against the Red Sox who they’ve gone 3-3 against in what would be a close series. If they can manage to advance and face the Detroit Tigers, however, they’d stand a much better chance against a team they’ve gone 4-2 against.

Their worst scenario would be the current situation they’re in: finishing as the final Wild Card team and facing the New York Yankees in their first series. The Mariners have seriously struggled against New York with a 1-5 record. If they manage to advance somehow, they’ll be opposite a Toronto Blue Jays team that has bested them 2-4 this year. Furthermore, we’re seeing both the Yankees and Blue Jays pick up late-season steam as opposed to the Red Sox and Tigers, who remain on shaky ground.

The Mariners will face the Astros in a pivotal series, followed by the Colorado Rockies in a series they can easy gain some ground given their standing. Finally, they’ll face the Los Angeles Dodgers at home for their first meeting of the season. However, the Detroit Tigers will still face the Cleveland Guardians during a series with massive implications, so the Mariners could get some help from rivals to improve their standing.

On the opposite side of the coin, the Mariners hold a 2.5-game lead over the Guardians and a 4.5-game lead over the Rangers, so they’ll be hoping neither team can put together a perfect streak these last games. Given the current trajectory, the Mariners actually stand the best chance to win-out during their final 10.

Still, the best part of the MLB Playoffs is that a team just needs to get hot at the perfect time. Ultimately, these last 10 games of the season will prove to be crucial for the Mariners as they’re currently experiencing the tightest race in baseball.

Where do you think the Seattle Mariners finish this season?