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# Rest of AL West Doing Mariners Favor So Far, But Will It Last?
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/rest-al-west-seattle-mariners-favor-will-it-last/
- Published: 2026-06-16T19:38:38.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T05:55:44.000Z
- Author: Nick Lee
- Tags: Analysis, Mariners, MLB Trade Deadline, Cal Raleigh

\[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="6000"\]

![  Seattle Mariners centerfielder Julio Rodríguez (44) hits a single during the fifth inning against the Texas Rangers at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/2026/10/seattle-mariners-centerfielder-julio-rodr-c3-adguez--2844-29-hits-a-single-during-the-fifth-inning-against-the-texas-rangers-at-t-mobile-park--mandatory-credit-3a-stephen-brashear-imagn-images-format-original.jpg)

Seattle Mariners centerfielder Julio Rodríguez (44) hits a single during the fifth inning against the Texas Rangers at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images \[/caption\]

The 2026 Seattle Mariners have experienced a series of stops and starts thus far. They have been as many as five games under .500\. They recently rode an eight-game winning streak to put them back on track towards leading the AL West division.

However, since that streak was snapped, the Mariners are back to an uneven stretch, going 4-7 since, with two series losses sandwiching a series split in Baltimore.

That’s not the type of success expected of a contender. Sitting at 37-36, that typically is not the record that would lead a division. For example, in the National League, they would be currently eight games back at least of any of the three divisions with that record and would even be outside of the Wild Card picture.

However, given that they are in the weaker American League, their record is good enough to be atop the AL West by just a half of a game over the Athletics despite ranking 13th in winning percentage overall in MLB.

The question is: how much longer will the American League, especially in the West, let the Mariners spin their tires as they have through almost three months of regular season action?

FanGraphs currently has the Mariners with an 81.7% chance to make the playoffs, including a 60.6% chance to win the AL West outright. Those projections feel like the cream will rise to the top, with the Mariners being the most talented team in the division, even as they flounder in mediocrity at the moment.

It should be noted that the 2025 Mariners had the same exact record of 37-36 at this point last year. They finished strong, going 32-20 after August 1, so there’s precedent here.

Which AL West teams pose the biggest threat to taking advantage of Seattle leaving the door open?

The Athletics mash the ball, ranking third in OPS and fifth in homers. Nick Kurtz (1.006 OPS) is making a strong early case for AL MVP. If they can improve their pitching staff, they will be a problem this summer (28th in team ERA). As of now, pitching is a large weakness that may rear its ugly head. FanGraphs projects them to finish 81-81, five games behind Seattle.

The Texas Rangers have managed to tread water along with Seattle, sitting at 35-37 heading into Tuesday. They are more balanced than the Athletics. Jacob deGrom is looking like his old self. Third baseman Josh Jung is hitting like he wants an invitation to Philadelphia for the All-Star Game. As of now, they are projected to finish 80-82, a game behind the Athletics.

Will the Astros have something to say before it’s all over? Yordan Alvarez is currently the betting favorite to win AL MVP over Kurtz by a hair. However, they have one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball. It’s hard to envision Houston going on a huge run without a massive overhaul of their pitching at the deadline, and that might not be enough to save their season.

Keeping that in mind, the Mariners are still in good position to win the AL West. They don’t have the same glaring weaknesses that other teams in the West have, and they will get star catcher Cal Raleigh back this week with other returning starters set to return in the near future. It seems the Rangers are the biggest threat to Dan Wilson’s squad as of now. Certainly, things could change before the August 3 trade deadline.

Between team wRC+ on offense, and ERA among starting pitching and the bullpen, the Mariners are the only AL West team inside the top 10 in all categories. Even with an uneven first half, Seattle still should be a good bet to take control of the AL West as the second half approaches.