The Seattle Mariners Fall Short Again: When Will They Break Through?

Monday night’s Game 7 loss to the Blue Jays was especially brutal. The Mariners were up 3-1 in the seventh inning. They had momentum. They had hope. Then George Springer—because of course it was Springer—launched a three-run homer off Eduard Bazardo that sent Toronto to the “Fall Classic” instead.

Manager Dan Wilson’s decision to go with Bazardo over Closer Andrés Muñoz will be second-guessed for years. Maybe decades. It’s the kind of move that haunts franchises, the kind that gets rehashed at sports bars and family dinners until the end of time.

A Legacy Of Heartbreak and Hall of Famers

Here’s the thing that makes Seattle’s drought even more painful: this team has had talent. We’re talking Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Randy Johnson, Edgar Martinez, and Ichiro Suzuki. Five legitimate Hall of Famers who never got to play in a World Series with the Mariners.

The franchise has won four division titles. They tied the MLB record with 116 wins in 2001. They’ve made the playoffs six times (1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2022, 2025). But every single run has ended before the ultimate stage.

This year’s squad featured Cal Raleigh—who just put up historic power numbers—and Julio Rodríguez, who’s developing into one of baseball’s brightest stars. They went 90-72, won the AL West, and pushed the Blue Jays to seven games in the ALCS. Still not enough.

The Exclusive Club Nobody Wants To Join

The Mariners share their championship-less status with four other teams:

• Milwaukee Brewers (1969) – One World Series appearance
• San Diego Padres (1969) – Two appearances
• Colorado Rockies (1993) – One appearance
• Tampa Bay Rays (1998) – Two appearances

But here’s the kicker: Seattle is the only one that’s never even made it to the show. 29 of MLB’s 30 teams have at least played for the title. The Mariners are the lone exception.

Will Next Year Be Different?

Raleigh said it best in the locker room after the loss: “I hate to use the word failure, but it’s a failure.” The raw emotion in his voice captured what every Seattle fan was feeling. The talent is there. The fan base is rabid. T-Mobile Park was packed with thousands watching on the big screen, hearts breaking in unison as Julio Rodriguez struck out to end the game. These aren’t fair-weather fans—they’re diehards who’ve stuck through nearly five decades of disappointment.

But talent and passion only get you so far in October. Baseball is cruel like that. One swing, one pitch, one managerial decision can be the difference between glory and going home. So when will the Mariners finally break through? When will Seattle get its moment? That’s the question that’s been haunting the Pacific Northwest since 1977. And after Monday night, it is going to sting a little longer.