It’s a summer to remember in Seattle, and the city’s baseball faithful can barely believe their eyes. The Mariners, long haunted by heartbreak and missed opportunities, are suddenly one of Major League Baseball’s hottest teams. Since the trade deadline, Seattle has surged to an 11-3 record, boasting an eight-game winning streak that’s only been outdone by the Milwaukee Brewers’ 13-game tear. Yet, as the Mariners’ clubhouse buzzes with optimism, there’s a palpable sense of caution in the Pacific Northwest: can this team finally shake its history of late-season collapses and reach October’s promised land?
Friday night at Citi Field offered a striking snapshot of the Mariners’ newfound resilience—and the agony of their opponents. The New York Mets, once the toast of baseball with a 45-24 record through June 12, have since unraveled, dropping 14 of their last 16 games. In a wild 11-9 Mariners victory, Seattle battered the Mets’ bullpen with seven runs across the final three innings, turning a 6-4 Mets advantage into another gut-wrenching defeat for New York. As the Mets fell six games behind the division-leading Phillies and clung to a razor-thin half-game lead over the Reds for the last NL wild-card spot, their manager Carlos Mendoza could only shake his head. “Bottom line, we got to start playing better,” Mendoza said. “Especially when you get the lead, we got to be able to shut those games down. Again, too much talent back there.”
For Seattle, the win was more than just another notch in the win column. It was a testament to the team’s depth, tenacity, and—maybe most importantly—its improving health. Injuries have been a recurring theme for the Mariners this season, with key arms like George Kirby, Matt Brash, and Logan Gilbert all missing time. But by mid-August, all three had returned to form, giving the rotation a much-needed boost. Bryce Miller, after his third Minor League rehab start on August 13, is set to rejoin the staff soon, while Víctor Robles began his own rehab assignment and is widely expected to be called up when rosters expand in September. The activation of Luke Raley on August 15 further bolsters Seattle’s depth, especially as they watch division rivals like the Astros struggle with their own injury woes.
“You got to stay healthy and a little bit lucky,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson has said, echoing the sentiment of a fanbase all too familiar with the cruel twists of fate. The recent season-ending injury to Trent Thornton is a reminder of how quickly fortunes can change. But for now, Seattle is as healthy as it’s been all year—and it shows on the field.
Offensively, the Mariners have undergone a dramatic transformation since Wilson took the helm late last season. After ranking 21st in runs scored in 2024, they’ve leapt to ninth this year, fueled by both returning stars and shrewd deadline acquisitions. The arrivals of Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez have added new dimensions to the lineup. Naylor, in particular, has exceeded expectations, while Suárez’s presence alone has lifted the team’s confidence. “People in Seattle know what Suárez can do,” Wilson remarked. “Having him back in the room just makes us better.”
But the real fireworks have come from Julio Rodríguez, who has been on a tear since the Mariners swept the Tigers before the All-Star break. Rodríguez is slashing .306/.358/.685 with a 1.044 OPS, 13 home runs, and a 2.2 fWAR in that span—numbers that put him among the league’s elite. Cal Raleigh, too, has shaken off a mid-season slump and is once again a force in the heart of the order.
“This lineup can put up runs in a hurry,” said Naylor after Friday’s win. “We believe in each other, and you can see it in the way we’re playing.”
September looms as a crucial test. On paper, the Mariners face a favorable schedule: of their final eight opponents, five have losing records and the Kansas City Royals are hovering at .500. Only the Astros and Dodgers—two perennial powerhouses—pose a clear threat. But the Mariners know better than to take anything for granted. The Astros, with whom Seattle is tied 5-5 in the season series, and the Dodgers are both on the docket during the campaign’s final stretch, when playoff races reach a fever pitch. Even the so-called “soft” opponents, like the Royals and Rays, have been tough at home, and the Braves sit at .500.
“It’s never easy in September,” Wilson cautioned. “You can’t look past anyone in this league.”
For longtime Mariners fans, the specter of past disappointments still lingers. This is, after all, a franchise with just three division titles and five playoff appearances in nearly 50 years. The 2001 team won a record-tying 116 games, only to fall short in the ALCS. More recently, in 2024, Seattle squandered a 10-game division lead and missed the playoffs by a single game. The scars of those collapses are fresh, and the pressure to rewrite the narrative is immense.
Yet, there’s a sense that something is different this time. The roster is deeper, the offense more dynamic, and the pitching staff finally healthy. The Mariners’ mental toughness, tested by years of frustration, may finally be their greatest asset. “If there’s ever a time for us to prove we’re clutch, it’s now,” Wilson said. “This group has worked too hard to let this slip away.”
Off the field, the Mariners’ commitment to their community is earning national recognition. On August 17, team chairman John Stanton will be inducted as the 66th member of the Little League Hall of Excellence, honoring his lifelong connection to youth baseball in Bellevue, Washington, and his leadership in bringing nearly a million Little Leaguers to Mariners games over the past 38 years. The Mariners will also participate in the eighth MLB Little League Classic, with Wilson—himself a former Little League World Series participant—leading the way. “Our connection with Little League is very much part of the Mariners’ service to our communities,” Stanton reflected. “We’re proud to know that in 2026, our 50th season, we will surpass one million Little Leaguers having an on-field experience with the Mariners in a Major League ballpark.”
As the regular season barrels toward its dramatic conclusion, all eyes are on Seattle. Will this be the year the Mariners finally break through? With a healthy roster, a resurgent offense, and a city rallying behind them, the opportunity is as real as it’s ever been. For now, the Mariners are rolling—and the baseball world is watching to see if they can keep the magic alive all the way to October.