After getting to the American League Championship Series in 2025, the M's are destined to miss the playoffs entirely in 2026.
After a 7-0 loss against the Houston Astros on Tuesday night, the Seattle Mariners appear destined to just play out the string in a disappointing 2026 season.
With five games to play, the Mariners are 73-84 on the campaign. The mediocrity of the American League West has kept them relevant all season, but they haven't felt like real contenders in months.
They need to win all five of their remaining games while needing the Astros and Texas Rangers to lose all five of theirs in order to make the playoffs.
It's a season that is likely to cost manager Dan Wilson his job, and it will also cause several areas of roster turnover. While Jerry Dipoto appears destined to keep his job, this is the kind of season that should cause every area of the organization to take a difficult self-audit.
On Wednesday, ESPN released its report cards for each team this season, with the Mariners being given an "F." Only the Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants received as low a grade as the Mariners, also getting "Fs."
It's really hard to argue
Even the most ardent Mariners supporters will have a hard time pushing back on this narrative.
1) After getting to the American League Championship Series in 2025 and entering 2026 with championship aspirations, the Mariners are going to finish under .500 for the first time since 2020.
2) The division they play in is the weakest in the league, and the Mariners couldn't take advantage. Both Houston and Texas are currently 78-79, also under .500. It's really a possibility that the division winner fails to have a winning record.
3) The Mariners have dealt with poor offense, ranking near the bottom of the league in runs scored, but they've also dealt with poor defense, poor baserunning and a regressing rotation/bullpen.
Seattle Mariners pitcher Carlos Vargas (54) stands on the mound after surrendering a two-run home run to Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (44, background) during the eighth inning at T-Mobile Park. Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images4) Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez and Josh Naylor, all expected to be aircraft carriers in the middle of the order, have regressed this season.
5) Seattle finished the year at 33-48 on the road, just a really poor performance away from T-Mobile Park.
6) And to add injury to insult, the Mariners have dealt with factors beyond their control too. Rodriguez, Raleigh, Gabe Speier, Matt Brash (2x), JP Crawford (3x), Brendan Donovan (3x), Cooper Criswell, Colt Emerson, Randy Arozarena and Carlos Vargas all spent time on the injured list. That absolutely played a role, though it clearly wasn't the sole reason the Mariners struggled so mightily.
7) And yes, if you want to throw in managerial and front office questions, you can. The roster clearly wasn't deep enough to overcome injuries. The offseason acquisition of Rob Refsynder backfired, and there were questionable pitching and bullpen decisions made along the way.
Add it all up, and you've got one of, if not the, most disappointing seasons in team history.
Of note
I spent 20 minutes talking with former MLB catcher (and WS champion) AJ Pierzynski on the most recent 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast. We talked a lot about Raleigh, his workload, his defense, his arm, holding runners, and much more. You can listen here, or you can watch in the YouTube player below.
