Mariners Slug Enough Sunday Homers, Take Home Series against Rangers
When the M’s dropped Friday night’s game 5-0, their ninth straight loss against non-Astros teams, they found themselves on the edge of disaster. But two games later, they aren’t in that bad of a spot for the rest of the year, with the season series against the Rangers a manageable 2-4 despite the sweep in Arlington.
Sunday’s rubber match was decided by two things: home runs and Bryan Woo. Seattle scored all its runs via the longball in their 5-2 victory while Woo did Woo things on the rubber to keep the Rangers off the board for all but one inning of the game. It’s still a ways until a true turnaround can be declared, but the M’s did what they had to do in their weekend day games.
They also mash in the stellar Steelheads threads, for what it’s worth.
Bryan Woo dealt a cold dish to Rangers hitters, going seven innings and squeezing out most of the life from Seattle’s AL West foes.
One way to describe the skill of the Mariners pitching staff is as follows: on any given day, any of the Mariners starters can look like the ace. First among equals, however, is Bryan Woo. He had not looked any worse than his two stalwart previous years to start 2026, with a 2.16 ERA, 2.24 FIP, and 0.920 WHIP over his first four starts.
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.
Mariners Release Opening Day Roster; Crawford, Miller Notably Absent with Injury
With opening day right around the corner for the Seattle Mariners - at 7:10 p.m. Pacific on Thursday against the Guardians - the team has released its first 26-man roster for the 2026 season. The top of the depth chart, of course, is very much all over the M’s roster, from returning superstars in Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez to new additions like Brendan Donovan and Jose A. Ferrer.
But of course it is not all sunshine and roses for the defending AL West champions. Longtime shortstop J.P. Crawford is out for the beginning of the year with a shoulder injury while Bryce Miller is working through an injury of his own, leaving holes in the middle infield and the back of the rotation. Leo Rivas is going to get some playing time at short in the meantime (and perhaps Cole Young might swivel
Mariners Reportedly Go with Garver for Backup Catcher; Right or Wrong Move by Dipoto?
Mitch Garver already returned to the Mariners organization thanks to some advice from Cal Raleigh, but with Spring Training nearly in the rear-view mirror, it’s being reported that he’s going to make the jump back to the bigs for another year. With this decision, it’s likely that Andrew Knizner - who signed a $1 million guaranteed contract in the offseason - will be designated for assignment, though he can be outrighted to Triple-A if he clears waivers. Jhonny Pereda, who is on the 40-man roster, will probably also return to Triple-A to start the season, though this would mark his last minor league option.
Garver was quite appreciative of Raleigh’s efforts to bring him back, according to MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer.
“It means a lot that he would want me to come back and be there for him whenever he needs to take a breather,” Garver said. “So, I'm happy to do it. Happy to just put on the gear and catch guys when they need me the most and couldn't be [happier] to be where we're at.”
Bringing Garver up was a $2.25 million dollar decision, financially, as that’s what Garver was guaranteed to make if he made the MLB roster at any point. So what went into the decision to bring him back for another year?
Mitch Garver Returns to Mariners on Minor League Contract; Will Big League Team See Him in 2026?
When the 2024 season took flight, Mitch Garver was fresh off one of the best seasons of his career. In 87 games as a catcher and DH for the Texas Rangers, he slashed .270/.370/.500 for a 138 OPS+ (where 100 is league average) with 19 homers, 11 doubles, and 50 RBIs. But the real crown jewel of that season came on Nov. 1, when his Rangers sealed their first World Series victory.
The Mariners wanted a piece of that action. Ever short a bat and needing a reliable backstop to complement burgeoning star Cal Raleigh, president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto dished out the then-largest free agent hitter contract of his tenure, a two-year, $24 million deal with a $12 million mutual option for a third year that had a $1 million team buyout.
Things didn’t quite go according to plan. Over 201 games in 2024 and 2025, Garver slashed .187/.290/.341 for an 85 OPS+. A decline in batting average on balls in play from .313 in 2023 - an unheeded warning that he was due for regression - to .236 over the next pair of summers took a lot of the wind from his sails, concurrent with a decline in line drives and an increase in grounders. The M’s took the buyout and Garver took heed of his options, but in the end, he returned to Seattle on a minor league contract. Will he find his way back to the big league club, or will any value from Garver in 2026 be more organizational?
Rob Refsnyder Adds Right-Handed Hitting Depth to Mariners Lineup
The Seattle Mariners got a platoon righty in Rob Refsnyder on Monday, but will he finally be the answer against lefties that many others couldn’t provide? Perhaps more importantly, will the Mariners continue to build their offense over the winter?
Mariners Offseason Tracker: Timeline, Salaries, and Depth Charts
With each week of the offseason bringing new updates for the Mariners, it can be easy to lose track of everything that has gone on. Our Mariners offseason tracker is a one-stop shop for easily digestible M’s winter information.
Analyzing Seattle Mariners’ Free Agent Situation as Baseball Offseason Begins in Earnest
The MLB offseason is fast approaching, and for the Mariners, that means decisions about five members of the 2025 team who are becoming free agents this winter. What should Seattle do with these five players?
Rapid Reaction: Mariners Stuff Blue Jays 10-3 in Statement Win on Canadian Thanksgiving
Despite some early uncertainty, the Mariners delivered a statement Game 2 win in Rogers Centre, tapping a variety of heroes as they return home with a big advantage for Game 3.
Three Massive Managerial Moments that Decided ALDS Game 5
Many of the memorable moments of ALDS Game 5 came from the players on the field, but some of the biggest keys of the game resulted from the battle of wits between A. J. Hinch and Dan Wilson. How did Wilson and the Mariners triumph on the managing front?
Final Thoughts: Mariners Found Long Path to Victory During Instant Classic Game 5
A 15-inning epic, a long-awaited return, an instant classic. The Mariners’ marathon win over the Detroit Tigers defied logic and expectations, but perhaps that was the only way such a victory could occur.
Rapid Reaction: Tigers Kick Miller, Maul Mariner Bullpen; M’s Forced to Game 5 against Skubal
Seattle couldn’t get it done on Wednesday, dropping the chance to put the Tigers to bed in their own ballpark as Detroit forced Game 5 in Seattle. What made the tables turn so quickly in the back half of Game 4?
Seize the Moment: Mariners Catchphrase Captures Win-Now Spirit
Up and down the lineup, the 2025 Mariners are hungry for the Commissioner’s Trophy, and a new-old phrase is their guide as they wade towards the magic of October.
Blue Skies in SoDo: Weekend Sweep Puts M’s in Prime Championship Contention
The M’s went into a massive three-game set in Houston tied with the Astros for the division lead, and unlike past heartbreakers, Seattle all but took out their nemesis. Where does this leave the Mariners’ playoff position going into the final week before October?
Robles Sinks Double Play Dagger in Game Two, Mariners Hold 6-4 Win
The Seattle Mariners may have finally slain their unrelenting demons on Saturday night in Houston. Cal Raleigh got his 57th home run, George Kirby balled out on the mound, but it was the last play of the game that will go down in Mariners legend.
Rare Bullpen Blowup Sinks Mariners’ Winning Streak in 7-5 Loss to Royals
Seattle’s vaunted 10-game winning streak has come to a close, with Mariners both present and former playing key roles in the Wednesday drama. What happened to stymie Seattle’s fortunes in game two?
Granite Rock, Side of Garv Sauce: Mariners Notch 2-1 Victory, Extend Streak to Seven
The Seattle Mariners had big contributions from both ends of the starting battery on Friday night as they took game two of four from the visiting Halos. Though the bats were once again silent for much of the night, the M’s found a way to win once more.
Mother Goose Mariners: Mustachioed M’s Bash 10 Homers, Take Final Two from Braves
Baseball’s auspicious history of superstition gained another entry over the weekend, as the Mariners—Cal Raleigh foremost among them—wore mustaches in their final two games against the Braves and the offense consequently erupted.
All Yelling, No Winning: Mariners Fall to Caminero-Led Rays 6-5, Continue Awful Rut
The Mariners’ woes on the road continued on Tuesday evening, as they dropped a game and a series to the Tampa Bay Rays. Problems both typical and atypical dogged the team, but two consistent issues were what sealed the deal.
Not-So-Sunny Philadelphia Welcomes Mariners in 12-7 Shellacking to Phillies
With all the struggles the Mariners have been facing on the road these last few games, there’s one thing that above all else is giving the boys from the Northwest slim chances to win - and it’s something the team usually relies on.
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