Polanco, the previously embattled infielder, sent the Mariners to the American League Championship Series with his game-winning single on Friday night in Game 5 of the ALDS.
When Seattle Mariners infielder Jorge Polanco sent the Mariners to the American League Championship Series on Friday night with his walk-off single against the Detroit Tigers, he joined M's legend Edgar Martinez in some incredibly fun baseball history.
As noted by Sarah Langs of MLB.com:
Jorge Polanco with the 15th walk-off hit in a winner-take-all game in postseason history
17th walk-off win in a winner-take-all game overall
INCREDIBLY … the only other ALDS winner-take-all walk-off win?
Edgar’s double
BASEBALL!!!
Mariners fans will remember Martinez's double in 1995 as the biggest hit in franchise history, and it sent the Mariners to their first ALCS ever, so to share some history with that moment is a great accomplishment for Polanco, who has had an awesome bounce back season.
Polanco's road
Acquired by the Mariners before the 2024 season, Polanco battled injury to hit just .213 with 16 homers and 45 RBIs. He underwent offseason knee surgery and the Mariners actually declined his team option, making him a free agent.
However, the two sides stayed in touch and Polanco signed a one-year, incentive-laden contract with the M's this past offseason to return. He spoke this week about returning to Seattle, the team's faith in him, and his faith in the team.
I really wanted to be back here, you know? Going into the off-season, I always wanted to be back here, especially with the teammates that I played with last year. I saw this team is a special team. It's a special group. And I wanted to be back here, and I just feel very grateful I'm here with the guys.
And all he did was justify the team's faith in him all season. Though he spent much of the year as a designated hitter, he's played the infield regularly down the stretch. He hit .265 with 26 home runs and 75 RBIs, carrying a 132 OPS+.
His contract structure allows him to become a free agent in the offseason, and the expectation is he'll do just that. He's set himself up for a nice offseason payday.
Edgar, the HOFer
Martinez spent 18 years in Seattle, becoming a seven-time All-Star, a five-time Silver Slugger and a two-time batting champion. He was on the three previous teams that advanced to the ALCS and was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019. He now serves as the team's Director of Hitting Strategy, so he's around Polanco plenty and has contributed to his success.
Up next
The Mariners and Blue Jays will begin Game 1 of the ALCS on Sunday night with first pitch at 5:03 p.m. PT. Bryce Miller will start for Seattle against Kevin Gausman.
Related Mariners Stories
LATEST PODCAST IS OUT: Brady Farkas is back for the latest episode of the Refuse to Lose podcast, and he's giving a 30-minute episode on what happened in Game 5 of the ALDS, how he almost missed his flight as a result of it, the nice managerial job by Dan Wilson in that game and much more. LISTEN HERE:
COPYCAT LEAGUE: The Seattle Sounders decided to honor the Mariners in their recent goal-scoring celebration. CLICK HERE:
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