As part of a 'bold prediction for 2026' piece for ESPN, MLB Insider Buster Olney has predicted that the Seattle Mariners will win the World Series in the coming season.

Olney comes on the 'Refuse to Lose' podcast each Thursday, so we'll be asking him on Jan. 8 just how strongly he feels about his prediction, or if it's just a 'bold' prediction that he thinks 'could' happen. Either way, we're excited for the answer.

Here's what he had to say:

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.

It's wild to hear the phrase "Mariners" and "World Series" in the same sentence since Seattle has never appeared in a World Series, but after getting to Game 7 of the American League Championship Series in 2025, it's not a farfetched idea. Here's why.

1) The division is winnable: This is probably the biggest factor working in Seattle's favor. The A's are a solid offense and are rapidly improving, but they still lack adequate pitching. The Angels are improving but they have so far to go that the Mariners shouldn't worry about them yet. The Rangers have intriguing young pieces, and Jacob deGrom, but after letting go of Marcus Semien and Adolis Garcia and Jonah Heim, they are clearly in a bit of a transition.

The Astros have made good moves to acquire Tatsuya Imai and Mike Burrows in the rotation, but after losing Framber Valdez, they are still a step below Seattle, at least for now.

2) There are other moves to make. There's no guarantee the Mariners make these moves, but they could bring back Eugenio Suarez and they could trade for Brendan Donovan, and either one of those moves would make them even better than they are now.

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3) The American League East will cannibalize itself. The Blue Jays are probably better than the Mariners right now, and the Yankees and Red Sox probably aren't far off, but the good news is that those three teams, plus the Orioles and Rays, will engage in a battle royale, possibly ending with the Mariners in a position to gain the No. 1 seed.

4) Positive regression. While it's certainly possible that Cal Raleigh or Randy Arozarena could regress after solid 2025s, it's also possible that the Mariners positively regress as well. Bryce Miller, Logan Gilbert and George Kirby each missed time with injury in 2025, and youngsters like Cole Young could improve. Having Matt Brash, Dominic Canzone and Josh Naylor for a full season will be a big help as well.

Because baseball is a hard game, and sometimes it can be cruel.

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