The Mariners will begin the American League Division Series on Oct. 4 against either the Cleveland Guardians or the Detroit Tigers. Only allotted a 26-man playoff roster, Seattle will have some tough choices to make on the position player side of things.
The Seattle Mariners have several days to think about their playoff roster for the American League Division Series against either the Cleveland Guardians or Detroit Tigers, which begins Oct. 4, but there are several interesting decisions ahead for them when it comes to the position players on the roster.
First off, let's take a look at the current group of 15 position players that ended the regular season on the Mariners' roster on Sunday:
C: Cal Raleigh, Mitch Garver, Harry Ford
OF: Julio Rodriguez, Randy Arozarena, Dominic Canzone, Victor Robles, Luke Raley
IF: Josh Naylor, Eugenio Suarez, Jorge Polanco, J.P. Crawford, Leo Rivas, Miles Mastrobuoni, Cole Young
Position player limits for the playoffs
The regular season ends with 28 players on an active roster, but the playoffs stipulate that each team use a 26-man roster.
The most you can carry is 13 pitchers, though you don't have to carry 13 if you don't want to. However, it's safe to assume that Seattle will carry the full 13 arms, meaning, they'd need to drop two position players from the above group. And that's where the questions come in.
What to do with Harry Ford?
Ford, 22, got only six official at-bats in September and seems like an easy candidate to be dropped from the roster. However, let's say that the Mariners play the Detroit Tigers in the ALDS. If Mitch Garver and Cal Raleigh both start against lefty Tarik Skubal, as is normal, Seattle will likely want to pinch-hit for Garver later, leaving them without a backup catcher.
Could Ford survive the roster crunch to only fit this scenario? It's possible.
How about Cole Young?
Young, 22, was a Top 100 prospect at the time of his promotion to the major leagues. However, he barely played in September and hit just .137 over his final 30 games. Though he is likely to be the team's every day second baseman in 2026, it doesn't seem like he's a fit for this roster right now.
How about Leo Rivas and Miles Mastrobuoni?
If the team elects to drop Ford and Young, then there's room for both Rivas and Mastrobuoni. Both give the Mariners options late in games, as Rivas can play second base or shortstop, and he can serve as a pinch-runner if necessary. He's also a good bunter.
Mastrobuoni can play second base, first base or the outfield, is left-handed and also provides a solid ability to bunt, and while he's not as fast as Rivas, he can run for certain players and be an upgrade.
But who makes the cut if Ford stays and there's only one spot available?
How about any wild cards?
Are the Mariners looking for any single-niche players to help them out? If they want a guy who is solely a runner, how about Samad Taylor, who stole 44 bases at Triple-A Tacoma this year?
Worried about Eugenio Suarez's defense late in games? How about Ben Williamson, who is an excellent defender at the hot corner and saw significant time for the M's prior to the acquisition of Suarez at the trade deadline?
RELATED MARINERS STORIES
LATEST PODCAST IS OUT: Brady Farkas is back for the latest episode of the Refuse to Lose podcast, talking about the Mariners division title and why it means so much to many. Then, he talks with ESPN MLB Insider about the M's in the playoffs, Bryan Woo's injury and more. LISTEN HERE:
MUNOZ PROBLEMS? Andres Munoz has had a great year for the Mariners in the back-end of the bullpen, but are there any concerns heading into October? CLICK HERE:
SIR HARRY: Harry Ford recorded his first career hit on Saturday night, and he also won a major award at the minor league level. CLICK HERE:
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