According to Fangraphs, the Mariners have the best odds of any team to win the World Series, so why is that?

The Seattle Mariners wrapped up a fantastic season with a disappointing 6-1 loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday at T-Mobile Park. Even despite being swept in the final series, it was the most successful regular season for the Mariners in nearly a quarter century, as they went 90-72 and won the American League West for the first time since 2001.

They'll have a first-round bye in the American League playoffs and will begin play in the Division Series on Saturday, Oct. 4. 

Heading into the playoffs, Fangraphs has given the Mariners the highest odds to win the World Series at 20.1 percent. Let's be clear, these odds don't mean anything. Everything still has to be decided on the field, but for a fanbase that has been so wronged over the years, it's amazing to see the odds this high. So, why exactly are they this way?

The path

If we're being frank, the Mariners draw in the postseason couldn't have been any better. 

First off, the Mariners will see the winner of the series between the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers in the American League Division Series. Seattle went 4-2 against both teams in the regular season, and they swept the Guardians at T-Mobile Park, where games one and two will be held.

Detroit just blew a 15.5-game lead in the American League Central, and they have questions up-and-down their pitching staff outside of Tarik Skubal. Cleveland is one of the lightest offensive teams in the league, and they have a rotation that, while hot, lines up well with the Mariners offense, in that Tanner Bibee and Gavin Williams are right-handed.

Furthermore, the Yankees and Red Sox are playing each other in the wild card round. That means one of them will be knocked out by the Division Series, and another could be knocked out by the time Seattle (hopefully) gets to the American League Championship Series.

Should the Mariners see the No. 1 Blue Jays in the ALCS, they already won a series there this year, and a lot of these same players beat Toronto in a playoff series in 2022, giving them confidence.

The National League

The National League is clearly stronger than the American League, but since everyone will beat up on each other along the way, the Mariners only have to worry about beating one NL team. The NL teams each have lower odds because there's no easy path for any of them to even get to the World Series, nevertheless win it.

The pitching

The Mariners have the highest-ceiling rotation in the American League with Bryan Woo, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and Luis Castillo. If Woo is healthy, as the Mariners indicate, that's a big advantage heading into any short playoff series.

The power

Seattle hit the third-most home runs in baseball this season (238). And since it's harder to string hits together in the playoffs, having the ability to change a game with one swing can go a long way toward winning a big game.