Mariners Trajectory Rapidly Approaches Inflection Point with Fifth Straight Loss
Despite an impressively bad two-decade playoff drought to begin the millennium, the Mariners haven’t been in the habit of fully burying themselves three weeks into the year, usually waiting until May to let everything fall apart in their down years, missing the mark in September during their good years, and crashing into the last wall like George Russell in Singapore in their great years.
But inexplicably yet unsurprisingly, the proverbial team bus looks like it’s being steered by a tumbleweed through a baker’s dozen games in 2026. The team’s stellar pitching has carried them to four wins, but a combination of atrocious defense and somehow worse hitting dropped their ninth game of the year (and fifth in a row) on Wednesday afternoon.
Seattle suffered their third (kind of fourth) shutout of the season, barely avoiding getting no-hit by MacKenzie Gore and co.
The Mariners offense, team-wide, has been having the kind of performance where 105 mile an hour groundouts to short are hopeful signs because the team is usually hitting 75 mile an hour groundouts to first.
Which Players Have Seahawks Drafted After Official 30 Pre-Draft Visits?
With the 2026 NFL Draft less than three weeks away in Pittsburgh, the Seattle Seahawks and all 32 teams are tying up loose ends and finishing official visits with a variety of prospects. These on-site meetings allow players to meet with coaches and personnel staff as well as undergo medical examinations and physicals.
So far, the Seahawks have been linked to 15 prospects for official 30 visits, including multiple potential first-round targets such as Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood and Missouri defensive end Zion Young.
In terms of relevance, the majority of players who fly out to Seattle for these pre-draft visits won't be drafted by the team, as only 26 of their 137 draft choices since 2011 have been used on players reported to make those visits, or just 18.9%. However, recent history suggests at least one of their slated four picks in this year’s draft will be a player who visited the team facility this spring, while several others could be signed as priority undrafted free agents or brought in for a tryout at rookie minicamp. These visits offer plenty of significance for general manager John Schneider and the front office, and that trend continued even after the arrival of Mike Macdonald as Pete Carroll’s successor.
Looking back at their past 15 drafts, with 2021 being excluded due to most visits being done virtually because of COVID protocols, which players who reportedly attended official “30” visits at the VMAC wound up being drafted or signing with the team?
Familiar Culprits Waste Kirby Complete Game as M’s Drop Fourth Straight
The Mariners fielded their first full top-depth lineup of the 2026 season on Tuesday, but it didn’t lead to much production on the offensive side of the ball. The defense - this time, even standout defender Cole Young, though through positioning and not bad glovework per se - continued giving away runs to the Mariners’ opponents on the way to a one-run loss thanks to said baffled bats.
Kirby worked very efficiently early in the game, but yet more hibernating hitters and letdowns on defense gave him his first career loss to Texas.
Brendan Donovan hit a home run on the very first pitch of the game. Cal Raleigh had an excellent two-out piece of hitting against a top-edge fastball, driving it into center for an RBI single. That was the only hit with runners in scoring position, bringing the team’s RISP slash line down to .216/.327/.371.
But with a guy on the mound with a career 1.04 ERA against the Texas Rangers, those two runs still gave them a shot.
Huskies Talented, Inexperienced Receivers Battle for Roles During Spring Ball
The Washington Huskies football game at Wisconsin last season served as the low point for many.
For receiver Rashid Williams, it was the lowest of the low.
After setting himself apart during 2025 spring and fall camps, Williams earned the starting “Z” receiver position and opened the season with four catches in a 38-21 win over Colorado State. A week later he caught a 27-yard pass on the offense’s first play against UC Davis that ultimately served as the beginning of the end when he broke his collarbone at the end of the play.
That was a low, but things would get lower. After two months of healing and rehab, Williams came back, ready to regain his place in the Huskies offense as the 6-2 team tried to get back into the College Football Playoff conversation. Williams never made it onto the field at Camp Randall, though. He suffered a second injury during practice when his hand got caught in a teammate’s facemask.
Season over.
Storm Core Ezi Magbegor, Extend Reserved Qualifying Offers to 2 Others
The Seattle Storm made a trio of qualifying offers on Tuesday as they attempt to retain Ezi Magbegor, Mackenzie Holmes and Zia Cooke, per the WNBA’s transaction wire.
Seattle extended a core qualifying offer to Magbegor, which is a one-year, fully guaranteed deal valued at the new supermax figure of $1.4 million. It does not guarantee Magbegor will sign for that amount, but it does give Seattle exclusive negotiating rights.
Analysis: Identifying Best Safety Fits for Seahawks’ 2026 Draft Picks
Despite watching Coby Bryant flee the nest to sign a big money contract with the Chicago Bears, the Seattle Seahawks should still be in fine shape at the safety spot both in terms of talent and depth rolling into the 2026 season.
Even without Bryant, the Seahawks have former Pro Bowler Julian Love returning under contract for two more years as well as budding star Nick Emmanwori, who emerged as a key catalyst in Mike Macdonald’s defense playing everywhere from the slot to defensive end. In addition, Ty Okada performed admirably in 11 starts subbing in for Love and Bryant, earning himself an opportunity to play significant snaps moving forward as the team’s third safety. In free agency, the team further bolstered depth by signing former Colts starter Rodney Thomas and bringing back veteran D’Anthony Bell.
Still, given Macdonald’s propensity for deploying nickel and dime packages with five or more defensive backs and often utilizing three or more safeties on the field at the same time, Seattle may be inclined to look for additional reinforcements with the 2026 NFL Draft featuring a rock solid class at the position. This includes in the first round, where as many as three or four safeties could hear their names called on April 23 in Pittsburgh.
Looking at this year’s latest crop of safeties, which players stand out as the best potential fits to succeed Bryant and further reinforce the Seahawks’ secondary for 2026 and beyond with each of their four selections?
Gonzaga’s Depth Takes Big Hit as Braeden Smith, Steele Venters Enter Transfer Portal
With the NCAA transfer portal officially opening on Tuesday, two more names from Gonzaga’s 2025-26 roster have thrown their names into the hat. Both falling out of the rotation’s favor by season’s end, Braeden Smith and Steele Venters are both headed to the portal, becoming the third and fourth Zags to do so at this point in the offseason.
Smith began the year as GU’s starting point guard before getting lapped by freshman Mario Saint-Supéry midway through the season, as the Spaniard brought more to the floor offensively and defensively. The 6-0 redshirt junior continued to get into each game, but his minutes both dwindled and became inconsistent.
Venters entered the season healthy for the first time in three years after suffering a torn ACL and Achilles, respectively, before each of the two previous seasons kicked off. The 6-7 graduate student was meant to be a sniper from the outside, and even though he shot 36.7% from the outside – the second-highest mark on the team – it wasn’t enough to make up for his deficiencies defensively, even for a Bulldogs group that was devoid of three-point shooting.
Bats Go from Quiet to Silent, Mariners Drop Third Straight to Open Texas Series
Sometimes, when a good team is in a rut of bad performance, it only takes one good break to open the floodgates and turn things around.
But when the M’s put up eight against the Guardians, or walked off the Yankees, or stole a theretofore scoreless match in extras from the Angels - or when Cal Raleigh launched one halfway into the upper deck on Monday night in Arlington, Texas - it was less like the great floodgates opening and releasing an overpowering torrent and more like little droplets of water gathering on the collection surface of a solar desalination plant: the tiny pellet of hydration was followed by yet more aridity.
Cal Raleigh finally found his stroke in his first at-bat of the game, torching a middle-middle Jacob DeGrom fastball 418 feet to right field.
What’s that old saying about the darkest time of the night? Well, the sun only shone for one at-bat in the top of the first and then quickly went away again (what’s the inverse of an eclipse?), but at least Cal Raleigh got himself into the .500s in OPS (talk about scarce droplets of water!) by the end of the night.
Analysis: Could Seahawks Make a Run at Trading for Giants Star Dexter Lawrence?
During the heat of the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, with six picks until the team’s No. 21 overall selection, Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider, then-coach Pete Carroll, and every other staff member in attendance in the war room sat on pins and needles.
As if often the case during draft weekend, Schneider and company found themselves sweating things out with a coveted prospect still on the board in Clemson defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, who they hoped would fall to them to become the cornerstone of a rebuilt ‘Hawks defensive line. In several instances, including with receiver Jaxon Smith-Nijgba under similar circumstances in 2023, the franchise has lucked out with the desired prospect remaining available once they were on the clock.
But on this April day in 2023, good fortune would not be on Seattle’s side. The New York Giants prevented Schneider from landing his top target, selecting Lawrence 17th overall to abruptly end the dream. Two picks later, Denver selected Iowa tight end Noah Fant, another player that Schneider had a high grade on who would have been in play with pick No. 21.
Eight years later, just as Schneider previously did acquiring Fant as part of the blockbuster Russell Wilson deal with the Broncos in 2022, the Seahawks may now have a chance to rectify that ill-fated turn of events. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, Lawrence has requested a trade from the Giants and will not report to the team’s offseason program after multiple years of failed attempts to negotiate a new contract.
Emmanuel Innocenti Enters Transfer Portal, Leaves Gonzaga Devoid of Defense
With the Gonzaga Bulldogs leaning heavily into the defensive side of the ball entering the 2025-26 season, they had two impactful players in mind that were already on its roster. One was Jalen Warley, who transferred in from Virginia midway through the previous season and is now graduating after a stellar season as the team’s versatile chess piece.
The other was Emmanuel Innocenti, who transferred to the Zags after playing his freshman year with Tarleton State, and was limited to more of a reserve role with GU during the 2024-25 campaign. But after emerging as a key starter for the Bulldogs this past year, Innocenti’s agency, “THE·TEAM”, surprisingly told DraftExpress that the incoming senior intends to enter the transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining, leaving a larger hole in Gonzaga’s defensive personnel.
The Zags have typically done an admirable job of retaining players year-over-year in this era of frequent player movement, but Innocenti will be headed elsewhere after an impactful season spearheading the Bulldogs’ stout defense, announcing his departure from Spokane four days after redshirt freshman Cade Orness did the same.
Kraken Need a Shake-Up to End Era of Passive Mediocrity
The Seattle Kraken are in a tailspin. It seems their season is circling the drain, destined to sink to the bottom of the Pacific. At least metaphorically, as the Vancouver Canucks will finish in last place in the division.
MoneyPuck.com has the Kraken’s playoff chances, as of Sunday night, at 0.7%. They are all but eliminated. They had every opportunity to grab a spot in a historically bad Pacific Division and Western Conference. Yet they failed.
With the current Pacific Division leaders at 87 points with five games to play, this was a weak division. 87 points would be outside of a playoff spot altogether in the Eastern Conference. In short, the Kraken let a golden opportunity to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for just the second time in the franchise’s first five years slip away.
So, what now? Who is to blame?
Mariners Waste Lucky Breaks that Angels Take, Drop Series with 8-7 Loss in Extras
There’s always a strange air around games between the Angels and Mariners. Any divisional rivalry series will have an edge to it, but for the Halos and M’s, it just feels a bit different.
It probably has something to do with this: the modern Perry Minasian Angels are a mirror of the Jack Zduriencik-era Mariners: both teams stuck in the doldrums of mediocrity, wasting the career of two generational players (one Japanese superstar each), but each doing it in the opposite way.
Where the 2010s M’s caromed between 95-loss disasters and missing the playoffs by a game or two, the 2020s Angels hover around 70-75 wins year-in and year-out. The Zduriencik Mariners failed to shore up generational pitcher Felix Hernández, while the Minasian Angels have left future Hall of Fame center fielder Mike Trout out to dry. Ichiro was the first Japanese position player to light up the MLB (doing so with an old-school Wee Willie Keeler-style approach), but was nearing the last few years of his career by the time Zduriencik sent him to the Yankees. Shohei Ohtani, a much more homer-focused modern great (who, by the way, can also pitch) was a few years into his pro career before going to Anaheim.
Sounders Steal One in H-Town, Rothrock Stars Again
The Seattle Sounders are rolling.
Even as a lightning delay derailed the beginning of the game and the Houston Dynamo gave Seattle's offense fits all night, the Sounders refused to stop rolling.
Paul Rothrock scored his fifth goal in all competitions to break a scoreless deadlock in the 83rd, turning a solid draw into a stolen 1-0 road win on Saturday night, as Seattle carries its road warrior persona through early April with a six-game unbeaten streak in all competitions.
"It's not easy to win on the road, it's not easy to even get points on the road, a draw. But we came out with a gritty performance because the guys just grinded it out," Seattle head coach Brian Schmetzer said.
Indeed, the Sounders earned the points despite the first leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals matchup with Mexican giant Tigres looming on Wednesday. As such, Schmetzer rotated and leaned on a roster that has well over 11 starters, by his account, to get it done on a soggy night in Houston.
Reign Close Spokane Fixture Trio with Draw to Expansion Denver
The Seattle Reign stayed perfect in their Spokane closer on Saturday, tying expansion side Denver Summit FC 0-0 on Saturday night to move to 3-1-1.
The Summit, fresh off their home opener, which drew over 60,000 fans in Colorado, have built a reputation of being tough to break down. Paired with a true scorer on the left wing in Melissa Kössler and a chance generator in striker Yazmeen Ryan, Denver was always on Seattle coach Laura Harvey's mind as a threat.
Indeed, the Summit burdened Seattle with 18 shots, but the Reign's active backline pressured many of those attempts. In the end, Denver produced just three shots on target and 1.2 expected goals on a day where the teams shared possession almost evenly.
Which ‘Wild Cards’ Could Seahawks Select With No. 32 Overall Pick in 2026 NFL Draft?
Coming out of a free agency period where they managed to retain most of their Super Bowl roster, the Seattle Seahawks did lose multiple starters such as running back Ken Walker III and cornerback Riq Woolen, leaving a few significant holes to fill heading towards the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23-25.
Considering the loss of Walker, Woolen, safety Coby Bryant, and edge rusher Boye Mafe, conventional wisdom would suggest Seattle intends to plug those gaps early in the draft, particularly at the cornerback and EDGE spots that feature quality talent and depth in the 2026 draft class. However, with the exception of Walker and possibly Mafe, the Seahawks have quality succession options already on the roster to help fill those voids and the continuity on the roster as a whole gives general manager John Schneider and coach Mike Macdonald flexibility to draft the best player available rather than chase needs, particularly with the No. 32 overall pick in the first round.
Under the guise of picking the best player on the board, which prospects from “wild card” positions could the Seahawks potentially pursue with their first selection later this month?
Danny Sprinkle, Huskies Back to Drawing Board for Another Rebuild
It looks like Danny Sprinkle and his Washington Huskies men’s basketball will be starting over.
Again.
As Sprinkle heads into his third season at UW, it would appear that another massive roster shakeup is coming after Zoom Diallo, JJ Mandaquit and Courtland Muldrew all have announced intentions to enter the transfer portal when it opens on Tuesday.
‘Greatest News Ever’: Gonzaga’s Mark Few Inducted Into Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
In just his second year on the ballot, Gonzaga head coach Mark Few has been inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026. Officially announced on Saturday, the 63-year-old will be enshrined in basketball immortality.
“This is the greatest news ever. It's just such a thrill to be elected to the Hall of Fame, something I never would have imagined happening in my life,” Few said in a statement. “I'm so grateful and so proud of everything our players were able to accomplish here at Gonzaga. It's a credit to having incredible people around you: incredible players, incredible staff members, an unbelievable wife and family, and God directing me through this crazy life. I can't thank everybody enough at the Hall of Fame. I'm just thrilled to be part of this phenomenal class."
Becoming eligible in 2024 for the first time, Few was a Hall of Fame finalist for the last two years. Active coaches must be at least 60 years old and have 25 years of service time under their belts. He joins fellow coaches Mike D’Antoni and Doc Rivers, former players Amare Stoudemire, Candace Parker, Elena Della Donne, and Chamique Holdsclaw, official Joey Crawford, and the 1996 United States Women’s National Team as this year’s inductees, who will have their induction ceremonies scheduled for August 14-15 in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Davy Coetzer, Seawolves Overcome Late Front Row Red in 33-16 Win over Old Glory
TUKWILA, Wash. - Before the 2026 season began, it wasn’t clear at all how the Seawolves stacked up against their five opponents. All the teams in the MLR consolidated talent from the folded teams, but as to the strength of each team as compared to each other, there wasn’t a whole lot to go off of besides conjecture. It was clear Anthem were majorly improved while the defending champion Free Jacks lost a grand total of 13 Canadian-eligible players and had a heap of general turnover. But with all the chaos, last year’s point totals, win totals, and point differentials weren’t the biggest thing weighing in the preseason projections.
In the first week, however, the team with a positive-38 point differential last year beat the team with a minus-40. Both sides had to work past some early season jitters, but with a new elite flyhalf in tow and the home turf grit to battle past a late red, the Seawolves logged the opening win under the Friday night Starfire lights.
Davy Coetzer had an excellent first match with the Seawolves, scoring 18 of Seattle’s 33 points.
A couple of Old Glory penalties in the early minutes led to offseason-acquired flyhalf Davy Coetzer’s first penalty kick of the season in the fourth minute. It was a relatively easy shot in windless conditions, but Coetzer shanked it a bit to the left and it bounced off the post into the visitors’ hands. That, along with a couple half-fumbles, was the only real mistake Coetzer made all match.
Analysis: Identifying Best Guard Fits for Seahawks’ 2026 Draft Picks
In quite the turn of events, after years of struggling to maintain continuity and playing an endless game of musical chairs on the offensive line, the Seattle Seahawks look to be well set in the trenches for the foreseeable future thanks to a strong commitment from general manager John Schneider drafting, developing, and retaining talent up front.
Over the past calendar year, Schneider invested a first round pick in an instant starter in Grey Zabel at left guard, unearthed an undrafted gem in center Jalen Sundell, and locked up bookend tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas with multi-year extensions, ensuring all four of those players would be under contract together for at least the next two seasons. Of those four players, only Sundell may hit free agency before 2028, as he will be a restricted free agent next spring.
With most of the offensive line under club control, the Seahawks only have one significant question on their offensive line with starting right guard Anthony Bradford entering the final year of his rookie deal. The oft-maligned former fourth round pick out of LSU has been wildly inconsistent in his first three seasons, but under the tutelage of coach John Benton, he made substantial improvements last year, including allowing just one sack in Seattle’s final 10 regular season games. Still, the jury remains out on whether he should be brought back on a second contract, making the position a potential area of need for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Looking at this year’s latest crop of guards, which players stand out as the best potential fits to compete against and/or eventually replace Bradford for 2026 and beyond with each of their four selections?
Injured Storm G Nika Mühl Selected By Portland Fire in WNBA Expansion Draft
Guard Nika Mühl, who tore her ACL in early March for the second straight year and had surgery on March 31, was the only Seattle Storm player selected in the 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft. The Portland Fire selected Mühl with their last pick in the draft.
The Storm knew early enough that Mühl was going to miss the entire 2026 season, which is clearly why they didn’t protect her in the draft. There’s a chance she would’ve remained unprotected even if she were healthy after playing in just 16 games since being drafted in 2024.
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