I think we all understand that there's some variance from season to season, but was anybody ready for this exact situation for the Mariners?
After losing three-of-four to the division rival Texas Rangers, the Seattle Mariners find themselves in a very dangerous spot with just days to go until the trade deadline.
Seattle is 52-55, 2.5 games back of Texas in the American League West, is now in third place in the AL West, and is two games back of the third and final wild card spot.
While the season is not over, it certainly is slipping away, and a new three-game series at the World Series favorite Los Angeles Dodgers isn't going to help the angst from fans. On top of that, the Mariners have an absolutely brutal August ahead of them that could make life even harder.
I don't think any Mariners fan in their wildest dreams could have predicted the frustration of this 2026 season, and it's something that I talked about on the most recent 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast.
Seattle Mariners third baseman J.P. Crawford (3) connects for a single against the Texas Rangers during the third inning at Globe Life Field. Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images"What I was not ready for was a season that feels like it's off the rails, and I don't know that this season has ever really felt like it's on the rails. That I wasn't ready for.
And look, I've seen a lot, and if you think in your mind, you've seen a lot too. The Boston Red Sox, I believe, won 108 games in 2018 and won 25 fewer in 2019 and missed the playoffs. And then, in 2020, they traded Mookie Betts and finished last. Life comes at you fast in sports. It can literally go that quick.
The Baltimore Orioles won 101 games in 2023, and then, like, 90 games in 2024 and missed the playoffs entirely in 2025. It can happen that fast.
The Toronto Blue Jays made the playoffs in 2022 and 2023. They finished last in the division in 2024. They got to Game 7 of the World Series in '25, and they're in last place again.
The San Francisco Giants, I went and looked, won 107 games in 2021, and they have yet to be over .500 since.
Odd things happen in sports. Regression happens. Nothing is guaranteed. I knew all of that, and I still wasn't ready for this.
What we are watching right now, how we have gotten to this point, is not something that I was expecting."
The Mariners made it to Game 7 of the American League Championship Series last season, and as the Blue Jays have proven, past success doesn't guarantee future success. You have to live in the moment and enjoy the 'now,' because it might not come back around again.
And even though I knew all of that heading into 2026? I've still been blindsided by what we've seen.
The Mariners and Dodgers will play on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. PT. Luis Castillo will take the mound for Seattle.
Of note
The most recent 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast is out, featuring Jason Churchill of 'Baseball Things.' You can listen here, or you can watch in the YouTube player below:
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