By Paul L. Taylor Posted on

Mariners: Top 5 series to pay attention to during the 2026 season

With the 2026 MLB season finally here, we look at five series in particular which will draw plenty of attention from Seattle Mariners fans.

We finally made it to the eve of opening day in Seattle, with the Mariners set to start their quest for glory on Thursday evening at T-Mobile Park versus the Cleveland Guardians. There’s plenty of anticipation ahead of the 50th season in franchise history, after the M’s came closer that ever to that elusive World Series berth last year.

Plenty of experts are picking the Mariners to represent the AL this season in the World Series, but if anyone knows anything about the history of this organization they never seem to make it easy for themselves, even when the cards are seemingly stacked in their favor. In fairness the roster is set up for genuine success this year, but here are five series which will be crucial to turning the sky-high expectations and predictions into a reality:

1. Guardians at home (Mar. 26-29)

Just based on being the first series of the season alone this gets to be on the list, but there’s more to it than that when it comes to the Guardians. We’re talking about an opponent which has won six AL Central titles in the last 10 years including three in the past four seasons, and only once finished lower than second in the division during the same time span.

The Guardians are actually in the position of being underdogs heading into the 2026 season, placed 23rd in The Athletic‘s preseason power rankings and given just the fourth-best odds by FanGraphs to win their division. However, don’t expect the Mariners to make the mistake of taking them for granted, especially when anything can — and does — happen at the beginning of a new season.

2. Yankees at home (Mar. 30-Apr. 1)

Despite only being the second series of the season, it’s important for the Mariners to set the right tone early on, and this means showing the Yankees who is the boss. The M’s might be seen as favorites to win the AL this year, but they’ve only won one season series versus their New York rivals since 1998 (in 2022).

There’s also the not-so-small subplot of Cal Raleigh versus Aaron Judge to consider, with many believing the M’s clubhouse leader was screwed out of the 2025 AL MVP following the greatest ever season by a catcher in Major League history. Either way, Raleigh and company must seize on this golden opportunity to put the boisterous Yankees fanbase in their place.

3. Dodgers away (July 28-30)

How can you not circle this series on your calendar even if it’s taken place down the West Coast in Los Angeles, with the two-time defending champions offering the ultimate litmus test of a team’s credentials. Just eight outs stopped this from being the World Series matchup last year, and both are favored to emerge from their respective leagues in 2026 and meet in the Fall Classic.

The Dodgers have undoubtedly replaced the Yankees as the new evil empire, and they are only expected to be even more formidable after signing Kyle Tucker and former M’s closer Edwin Díaz during the winter. The Mariners have been swept by them in each of the past three seasons, so now is the time to do better and prove they can compete (and succeed) against the best.

4. Astros away (Aug. 14-16)

Despite many people predicting Astros are finally on the decline after a decade of dominance, we refuse to believe it until we see more evidence. They were ravaged by injuries last season and still managed 87 wins, with their depth and talent highlighted by ranking third in the majors with 70 quality starts despite only two members of their rotation managing more than 14 starts.

Based on the last few seasons the race for the AL West figures to be close and the two teams will meet in Seattle on Sept. 22-23 in the second-to-last series of the campaign, but we think the previous series in Houston during August will be the crucial one. The Mariners must endeavor to extend their three-year streak of winning the season series versus the Astros, specifically turning the screw and exerting their dominance on the road in Houston if they are to truly show they’re now the team to beat in the AL West.

5. Blue Jays away (Aug. 28-30)

The two teams will meet in Seattle for three games during July, but it’s the return series north of the border a month later which will be of more importance. This is about the Mariners vanquishing their demons by revisiting the scene of the crime in Toronto, where they seemed set to finally make the World Series last season before George Springer broke their hearts with his devastating three-run homer in the seventh inning of Game 7 of the ALCS.

The Blue Jays arguably should have won the World Series last year versus the Dodgers, but by the same token plenty of Mariners fans believe their team was better than the one based in Canada. There’s been plenty of trash-talking over the years between the two fanbases and it seemed to only get more passionate (and hostile) last season, with the stakes now raised thanks to two organizations which can genuinely claim the ultimate prize in 2026.

Photos court​‌esy of Tim Rogers Photography

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