On March 27, the Mariners will play for the first time in the 2025 season at T-Mobile Park. While the last 48 years have amounted to only three ALCS appearances, there’s reason to believe this will be the year that changes. But, whether it ends in a trophy or not, this season is the perfect time to jump on the Mariner’s hype train. Here’s everything you need to know:
5 Postseason Appearances
In 1995, Seattle baseball was at risk. The stadium was literally falling apart and unless local politicians approved an expensive plan for a new stadium, the Mariners would move to Tampa. Contrary to all of this, the team led by Randy Johnson, Edgar Martinez, and Ken Griffey Jr., earned their first postseason berth. Though it ended quickly, with a loss to Cleveland in the American League Division Series (ALDS), it was exactly what they needed to get plans for Safeco Field (now T-mobile Park) approved later that year.
By 1997, the Mariners were back in the ALDS. They led the American League in home runs and runs scored throughout the regular season, but lost when it counted most to the Baltimore Orioles.
In 2000, after clinching the wildcard spot, awarded to the best team in each league who did not win the division, the M’s played the Chicago White Sox in the ALDS. Their odds looked good after having swept the White Sox, and advanced to the ALCS, American League Championship Series, one step away from the World Series, only to lose to the New York Yankees.
2001 seemed like the year they would finally get over the hump and win it all. They won 116 games in the regular season, an all-time MLB record and were equipped with future Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki. The Mariners would beat the Guardians in the divisional round to play the Yankees once again in the ALCS. The M’s jumped on the chance for revenge with two early wins, but ended up losing the series 4-2 in game six.
Between 2001 and 2022, the Mariners didn’t do much outside of lengthening the longest playoff drought in MLB history. After a thrilling season, the M’s finally snagged a wildcard spot, but lost to the Houston Astros in the ALDS.
5 Hard-Hitting Bats
For face of the franchise Julio Rodríguez, nickname: J-Rod, this year will be make or break. After a fiery rookie season, which saw him getting a hit in 28.4% of at bats, the league average was 24.3%, his stats have declined to a career low last year. However, with more experience under his belt, many people predict 2025 to be his best offensive year yet.
At first glance, Cal Raleigh, nickname: Big Dumper, is an overall solid, but average power hitter. That’s until you take into account his ability to deliver under pressure, especially in the postseason. His bat isn’t the strongest part of his game though; he won the 2024 AL Platinum Glove, awarded to the best defensive player in the game.
Randy Arozarena, nickname: The Cuban Rocket, was born in Cuba, but a US embargo limited his ability to make a living wage. He sailed to Mexico on a raft, where he was able to get a work visa to play in the big leagues. Since then, he’s become a star, with two postseason MVP awards, an All-Star team appearance, a Rookie of the Year award from his first season, and was one of only two unanimous players to make the All-World Baseball Classic team after leading Team Mexico in 2023.
For #10 Víctor Robles, last year there were no expectations. His stats up to that point were mediocre at best, making his ‘24 season nothing short of spectacular. To illustrate, his OPS (a stat that combines power and ability to get on base, a player who hit home runs 100% of the time would have 5.0) last year was .860. The league average? .711.
#3 J.P. Crawford had an all around fantastic season in 2023, but it led into an unimpressive 2024. Can he rediscover his lost mojo? Experts disagree. One thing we can be sure of is that he’ll be a fan-favorite and an all-around cool guy.
5 Pitchers to Watch
It will be important for this part to understand ERA, Earned Runs Allowed. This is a stat that estimates how many runs the other team would score, if a pitcher played for an entire game. Lower is better and the 2024 league average was 4.07.
#36 Logan Gilbert, nickname: Walter, played in the All-Star game last year, surprising nobody. After all, his 3.23 ERA and 33 games started, tied for the most of any pitcher, make up a significant part of why the Mariners have one of the best pitching staffs in baseball.
It’s not hard to understand what makes George Kirby one of the best pitchers in the league. Just imagine trying to hit a 96 mph fastball when you have no way of telling if it’s a slider or a 4-seam fastball. By releasing both with the same arm angle, axis of spin, and speed, he confuses hitters when the difference is approximately 8 inches in terms of where they’ll end up.
#50 Bryce Miller may be one of the least experienced pitchers on the team, but he certainly has high potential. When he isn’t working out or throwing bullpens to maintain his 2.94 ERA he put up last year, you’ll probably find him being a nice guy.
#58 Luis Castillo, nickname: La Piedra, is a superstar. This fan-favorite starting pitcher has a career ERA of 3.56, but in his prime it has been as low as 2.86. He’ll need to be a key part of the Mariner’s pitching rotation this year if they want to go far.
After an All-Star appearance last year, Andrés Muñoz is projected to have yet another phenomenal season. With a 2.12 ERA in 2024 and a 99 MPH fastball, it’s no wonder he’s considered one of the scariest pitchers in the league.
5 M’s Traditions
The hydroplanes have been around forever. The digital, sponsored boats racing across one of the biggest screens in sports, might not seem like anything special, but ask any fan and they’ll have a ride-or-die (Go yellow!).
After every run, the sound of a horn rings through the stadium. It’s a nod to the train that runs by the stadium and serves as a way to let everyone know the score, regardless of where in the stadium they are.
After a game-winning home run last year, J.P. Crawford felt it was only fitting to celebrate by throwing something. He grabbed the bucket closest to him and threw wrapped chewing gum over the head of the hitter. This has been repeated after every walk-off since.
Almost every team has a home run celebration, and the Mariners’ may be one of the best: the player who hits the home run hoists a trident, ordered by J.P. Crawford off Amazon, in honor of the team name and the city’s roots.
Introduced only last year by Microsoft, many would contest the Salmon Run, where five mascots dressed as the five most common species of salmon race around the field, making this list. Spoiler alert: Humpy the Humpback Salmon never wins.
5 AL West Teams
In order to get to the playoffs this year, the Mariners will have to be the best of five teams in their division or come second with a good enough record to clinch the wildcard spot. If they can make it to the World Series, they will lose their unwanted status as the only team in the league that has never been. FanGraphs projects them to place second in the AL West and finish one game behind the Rangers.
The team is projected to finish first in the Texas Rangers. Though winning the World Series in 2023, the Rangers lost a lot of momentum since. But they’ve still held on to their best players, like Corey Seager and Adolis García, and have a very real chance to take it all again this year.
The Houston Astros, projected to finish 3rd, are the Mariners’ most bitter rival. In 2019 they were caught cheating and illegally communicating by banging on a trash can. This earned them the name “Trashtros” and the passionate fury of thousands of Mariners fans who still chant, “He’s a cheater!” whenever Jose Altuve or Alex Bregman step to the plate.
The Athletics and Los Angeles Angels are both unlikely to be competitive, for different reasons. The Athletics have recently been sold and are moving to Las Vegas. As a part of negotiations, the owners have strategically created a “clean slate” and haven’t signed any star players. As for the Angels, it’s somewhat debated why they have had so little success, but they have a few key holes in their offensive lineup.
The Mariners are set up for success this season in what will be one of the most competitive divisions in MLB history. A postseason berth this year would mean the world to a sports city with an all too short playoff history and could repair the M’s reputation as an annual disappointment. Whether you’re a lifelong sports buff or usually couldn’t be bothered, there’s reason to believe that this could be the year to watch. And if not, well, there’s always next year.
