Julio Rodriguez, Bryan Woo and Josh Naylor all offered their thoughts on the team's poor 2026 and offered insights going into next season.
SEATTLE — One year ago today, the Seattle Mariners were celebrating securing a bye through the wild card round of the MLB playoffs and were still riding high off winning their first American League West title since 2001.
A year later, the only thing on the line for the Mariners in their final three games is pride after they were eliminated from playoff contention Thursday.
Since being eliminated from the playoffs, several veterans in Seattle's clubhouse have spoken to the media, taking some semblance of individual responsibility for how the season went while also discussing what they can do to make sure it never happens again.
Catcher Cal Raleigh offered a candid retrospective before the game against the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday.
Bryan Woo discussed the season after his start Thursday night, and first baseman Josh Naylor and center fielder Julio Rodriguez both made themselves available for interviews Friday before the second of the four-game series against the Angels.
A common thread among all four players was finding a sense of identity and getting back to doing the "little things" right.
"Identity's huge in sports itself," Naylor said Friday. "Personal identity and then the group identity. I think we did a good job trying to create that. I think it's just, it's continuous work. It's not just set in stone one day. ... It's a day-to-day thing. But we work on it really every day here. ... I think we're all looking forward to that, just growing as a group."
Unlike previous years that ended in disappointment for Seattle, the core group of the team is all set to return next season. Some established veterans, such as shortstop J.P. Crawford and left fielder Randy Arozarena, are set to be free agents, but a good nucleus is back.
The group of returners have already had conversations with each other to sort through what went wrong this season and how the team can avoid the same mistakes next season.
"There's been a lot of conversations already," Woo said Thursday. "But, I think the core group here is about the right things and can achieve what we all want to achieve. We're all gonna learn and grow a lot from this year."
The season hasn't ended yet, and the emotions and response from the players bears some resemblance to how the Mariners ended 2024.
Two years ago, Seattle was eliminated from the playoffs in the final days of the regular season after blowing a double-digit division lead it had as late as June 19. That season saw a midseason managerial change from Scott Servais to Dan Wilson and saw the Mariners go on a strong run to close out the year.
Seattle's roster entered that offseason focused and told anyone who could hear that the roster was capable of winning the World Series.
The Mariners finished 2025 one win away from the World Series and the first American League pennant in franchise history.
Every year is different, but the team seems in the right headspace to return to that singular focus in 2027.
"When you get hit in the mouth, you either cover up or you do something about it," Rodriguez said Friday. "I feel like that's what happened to us. We got hit in the mouth, it's just (about) how we respond to that. I do believe we have the pieces, I do believe we're doing the right things to ascend from this. But it's all about that response. Nobody can avoid getting hit."
Leadership will be a big factor in helping Seattle meet its goals in 2027. If Crawford, the longest-tenured member of the team (2019-present) doesn't return, that need for a leader will become even more present.
Raleigh acknowledged Thursday that he could have done better as a leader this season in some areas. Rodriguez is another player that has a voice in the clubhouse and will be more comfortable in using it than year's past.
"I feel like I'm more comfortable (being a leader), especially this year," Rodriguez said. "I feel like, sometimes people assume just because you're this player or that player you should do this, you should do that, but that's not easy. At the end of the day, we're all grown men here and we all have different ways of doing things. But, at the same time, with time and experience and learning guys and how they do things, you get more comfortable speaking up and having those conversations that (are) for the better of the team. ... You got to learn that."
As much of a positive sign it is that the team has a united mindset going into the offseason, there's still questions over the additions the team can make.
The team's bullpen was overused for the majority of the season, leading to multiple injuries and several high-leverage arms, including two-time All-Star closer Andres Munoz and Eduard Bazardo, taking steps back.
Third base was also in a constant state of flux. Brendan Donovan was limited to 39 games due to injury, Crawford moved back and forth between third base and shortstop, Colt Emerson ended the season on the IL following wrist surgery and Leo Rivas, Weston Wilson and Patrick Wisdom were also unable to make permanent impressions at the position.
Rodriguez and Raleigh both are leaving any possibility of free agent or trade acquisitions to the front office. Rodriguez said "that's for them," referring to the front office and Arozarena about the latter's free agency.
However, Rodriguez has had conversations with the front office. From his perspective, they've gone well.
"We have talked," Rodriguez said. "It's been really productive. And I'm glad that we're having good conversations and we all are just focusing on how to be better. And that's where the focus needs to be because we have the talent and we shouldn't sleep on that."
Even if the team does approach the offseason the "right way" and bounces back in 2027, the disappointment of 2026 will linger, as it should for a team that many thought would be in the World Series representing the American League in October.
"(There are) gonna be a lot (of) different lessons in the way that we grow," Woo said. "And the way that we grow and develop as a group, not just individually. I think everybody will take the steps necessary. If this truly hurts like it should, everybody will take the steps necessary to get better and hopefully not let something like this happen again."
