The Seattle Mariners officially open spring training this week and they are in a different spot than they've been for the last several years.

After getting to the American League Championship Series in 2025, the M's enter 2026 as the American League West favorites and on a short list of AL teams that are perceived to be able to win the pennant.

There's also more roster clarity in general. While there are questions about Colt Emerson, Cole Young, the bench and the front end of the bullpen, the team is generally set at most of the major spots.

With that in mind, we can start to focus on some more minute things in camp. One of them for me? How will Troy Taylor look and what it means for 2026.

Still just 24 years old, Taylor was a 12th round pick of the Mariners in 2022. He made his debut in an impressive 2024, going 0-0 with a 3.72 ERA in 21 games. He struck out 25 batters in 19.1 innings, flashing upper-90s velocity with a good slider.

He had a miserable 2025, going 0-0 with a 12.15 ERA in just eight games. He was injured in spring training and never got right, also struggling at Triple-A. He went 3-4 with a 6.85 ERA in 50 games for the Rainiers.

The Mariners need eight relievers and we talked about how Taylor might fit in on the most recent 'Refuse to Lose' podcast: 

"But another guy I wanna see is Troy Taylor. I have talked a lot about the bullpen and how its makeup is. I believe there are six spots that are solidified: Munoz, Brash, Speier, Bazardo, Ferrer — that’s five — Vargas is six.

The other two spots are up for grabs. Maybe Casey Legumina is there, maybe Cooper Criswell is there, maybe Emerson Hancock is there, but maybe Troy Taylor is there as well.

Troy Taylor looked really good at the end of 2024. Troy Taylor was injured and looked bad, both in the majors and at AAA, for most of 2025. Can he be a guy that they can put in the bullpen, who they can rely on, who they can count on?

He’s a guy who has options, so he certainly fits kind of the movability of the back end of a bullpen. If you have Troy Taylor from 2024, and he can become — even if he makes the team at guy eight in the pen — but if he becomes guy five or six in the pen, if he kind of takes over kind of the Carlos Vargas leverage role and pushes Vargas down the podium a notch, that’s a huge win for the M’s.

The M’s don’t have a lot of end-of-the-roster candidates, or end-of-the-bullpen candidates, that can throw 97 miles an hour. Alex Hoppe is one of them, but to have 97 with a good slider, Troy Taylor has a rare blend of stuff. Can he be the guy from 2024 or is he the guy from 2025? And how does that impact the bullpen in 2026?"

The Mariners lack flexibility in their bullpen, which is always needed. Criswell and Legumina are out of options, meaning they are not easy to keep and send down if necessary. Taylor has that flexibility, which is a big deal.

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