The Seattle Mariners have built a long and colorful history filled with postseason legends and players who failed to rise to the occasion, and the 2025 campaign added another layer to that narrative. This October, the Mariners once again experienced a mix of standout performances and crushing disappointments as their playoff journey unfolded.
While some players solidified themselves as heroes capable of thriving under the brightest lights, others struggled mightily when it mattered most — and those struggles may ultimately cost them a future with the franchise.
As the organization begins looking ahead to 2026, a few names stand out not for what they accomplished, but for how poorly they performed when the stakes were highest. Here’s a closer examination of three Mariners whose dreadful showings in the 2025 postseason may have sealed their fate and played them right off next year’s roster.
1. Luke Raley
Among all the Mariners who suited up this postseason, Luke Raley might have had the toughest time of anyone. The outfielder’s October performance was virtually nonexistent, as he failed to record a single hit in his four official at-bats and only managed to reach base once after being hit by a pitch. Though he was occasionally used as a pinch-runner and handled those moments fine, his inability to contribute offensively stood out during a stretch where Seattle needed every bit of production it could get. When the team advanced to the American League Championship Series, Raley’s struggles led to a clear decision — he was left off the ALCS roster entirely.
For Raley, this postseason was supposed to mark a chance to rewrite his October history after his brief and forgettable showing with the Dodgers in 2021, when he went 0-for-1 with a strikeout in his lone plate appearance. Instead, it felt like more of the same. After battling through an injury-marred 2025 campaign in which he posted just 0.3 bWAR, the combination of health concerns and lack of playoff impact makes his future with the club uncertain. With the Mariners likely to make roster adjustments this winter, Raley may find himself on the outside looking in as Seattle retools for another run in 2026.
2. Carlos Vargas
Carlos Vargas deserves credit for being one of the Mariners’ most dependable bullpen arms throughout the 2025 regular season. The hard-throwing right-hander was available nearly every night, appearing in 70 games and finishing the year with a 3.97 ERA — solid production for a middle reliever tasked with eating innings and bridging the gap to the late-inning specialists. However, when the stage got brighter in October, his reliability began to fade.
Across 7.0 postseason innings split between the ALDS and ALCS, Vargas struggled mightily, giving up five earned runs and failing to deliver in several high-leverage moments. His toughest outing came in Game 1 of the ALDS against Detroit, where he surrendered the game-winning run in the 11th inning, flipping momentum in the Tigers’ favor and dampening what had been an encouraging start to the series. That collapse lingered with fans, many of whom viewed it as a turning point that symbolized the team’s uneven bullpen performance. While Vargas’ regular-season consistency will earn him another chance to compete for a role next year, his postseason shortcomings will be difficult for both the team and its supporters to forget.
3. Matt Brash
Matt Brash’s inclusion on this list might raise some eyebrows, but when looking deeper, it’s clear his late-season form and postseason inconsistency were real causes for concern. The right-hander, known for his electric stuff and wipeout slider, began to show cracks after August 2, finishing the regular season with a 4.43 ERA over the final two months. That inconsistency carried into the playoffs, even if his 2.00 ERA doesn’t tell the full story. In his 9.0 postseason innings, Brash gave up five walks, three hits, hit a batter, and threw two wild pitches — a worrying trend for a pitcher whose effectiveness depends on command and confidence. Against a disciplined Blue Jays lineup, those free passes often put Seattle in tough spots that could have cost them much more than the box score suggested.
Brash’s future remains one of the more intriguing storylines heading into 2026. There’s a world where he regains his 2023 dominance and becomes one of the league’s elite relievers once again, especially if he fully recovers from the injury that slowed him in 2024. But there’s also a possibility that the inconsistency continues, leaving Seattle to wonder whether his peak has already passed. For a team looking to maximize its roster flexibility, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Mariners explore trade options for Brash while his value remains relatively high, ensuring they get something in return in case he never quite rediscovers his top form.
