The 2026 season still isn’t following the script which was predicted during preseason, as the Mariners now face a crunch six-game homestand.
The Mariners finally ended a streak of three-or-less runs at 13 games, by scoring five in Sunday’s road series finale versus the Guardians. Unfortunately for the M’s, their bullpen also imploded by allowing five runs in the bottom of the eighth, to ultimately lose the rubber match 6-5 in Cleveland.
As a result the Mariners returned home to Seattle back under .500, at 42-23, and having lost the division lead to the Rangers. In addition, the Astros have been on a hot run of late, and now find themselves within half a game of the M’s in an AL West which is there for the taking.
This isn’t how the script for the 2026 season was meant to play out in Seattle, for a team picked by plenty of baseball media experts as preseason favorites to win the AL Pennant. Instead, the Mariners continue to underperform and the fanbase is understandably exasperated.
On paper, this Mariners roster is arguably the best since 2001, and certainly the strongest of the Jerry Dipoto era in Seattle. Further, ESPN had them pegged as the fourth-best lineup in the majors heading into the campaign, and yet, they continue to frustrate and disappoint.
Mariners lacking the killer instinct
Yes, the Mariners have dealt with a lot of injuries this season, but most of their key players are back now. No, this is now a case of a team which has repeatedly failed to deliver the knockout blow, when they’ve had opponents on the ropes.
Sunday was a perfect illustration of this, with the Mariners leading the Guardians 4-1 and seemingly set to win. However, they failed to snuff out the Guardian’s flickering flame, with critics pointing towards Dan Wilson’s bullpen management, as well as the lineup going just 2-for-14 with RISP.
From our perspective, Wilson often serves as a scapegoat of sorts, with the criticism directed at him often being unwarranted, but we won’t defend against what happened on Sunday. Whether it be not giving Emerson Hancock the chance to finish the sixth, only using Eduard Bazardo for one out, or keeping Michael Rucker in far too long, when it was clear he just didn’t have it on the day.
As for RISP, this is more about a season-long issue as opposed to Sunday alone, which was still bad enough in its own right. The reality is the Mariners have been the exact opposite of clutch in these scenarios, as evidenced by ranking dead last in the majors in batting average, and 25th in slugging percentage.
Cal Raleigh focuses on the need to keep pressing
Speaking to the media postgame, Cal Raleigh was honest about where the Mariners went wrong on Sunday, in many respects alluding to the season as a whole up to this point. He said:
“I thought we did a good job early, thought we came out with a good game plan, we had some really good bats. But we gotta keep the foot in the gas, I think that’s the story of the game there. Can’t let off, we gotta play a full nine. Come to the field, ready to compete for two, three hours a day and not an hour and a half, so I think that’s kind of what I saw.”
Raleigh also discussed the issue of failing to cash in with RISP, rearing its ugly head again on Sunday. He said:
“Yeah, frustrating, but we just gotta be better, myself included. We’ve all gotta do a better job of just executing with people on base and being mentally disciplined, mentally tough enough to be able to come through in those moments.”
A potential season-defining 6-game homestand for the M’s
With us now past the halfway point of the league, concern is beginning to grow within the fanbase that it just isn’t going to be the Mariners’ year. However, it’s still tough to believe this team isn’t going to get better and play more up to their collective talent level.
Either way, this upcoming six-game homestand takes on increased significance and will give us an idea of what this team is all about. In theory it’s a homestand where the Mariners should at least take four out of six, with the two series coming versus an Angels team propping up the AL West and a Blue Jays side faltering at 39-45.
Of course, ‘In theory’ is just that, given that the Mariners themselves are on the wrong side of .500. Speaking about the challenges facing the team, Raleigh said:
“There’s 29 teams out there that are wanting to beat us every day, so we gotta bring it every day, and nobody’s gonna feel sorry for us. We can’t keep getting our head down or feeling bad for ourselves. We have to make that adjustment, and it’s a tough league. It requires a lot out of you, and it’s gonna test you at times. I think right now is one of those times, and how we respond to it is gonna be a big indicator of what the rest of the season looks like.”
In some respects, it seems almost apt that the Mariners will face the Blue Jays to close out this crucial homestand, given that this is the team which ended their bid for their first ever World Series berth last season. We now wait to find out whether the three-game series gives the M’s new life, or adds evidence to the growing fear that 2026 is going to be a huge disappointment.
Photos courtesy of Tim Rogers Photography
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