After making a postseason run last year, the Seattle Mariners have looked like a completely different team this season. Things have not come as easily for this group as they did a year ago.
Although the rotation remains elite on paper, there have been some cracks. Logan Gilbert and George Kirby have dealt with command issues, but the problems extend beyond the pitching staff.
The offense has struggled to generate much momentum. Julio Rodriguez has been inconsistent, while Cal Raleigh has looked nothing like the power hitter he was in 2025.
Looking to inject some life into their offense, the Mariners acquired Taylor Ward before the trade deadline. Ward had been performing well with the Baltimore Orioles, but his first week in Seattle did not produce the results the Mariners were hoping for.
He went 4-for-23, and while the team’s struggles were certainly not entirely on him, he was unable to help Seattle win a series. The Mariners dropped two of three to the Detroit Tigers before being swept 3-0 by the Tampa Bay Rays.
As a result, Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter dropped the Mariners several spots, moving them from No. 16 to No. 23 in his latest power rankings.
“According to the postseason odds at FanGraphs, the Mariners dropped from a 50.5 percent chance of reaching the playoffs on deadline day to a 29.1 percent chance as of Sunday. Deadline addition Taylor Ward went 4-for-23 with zero walks in his first week in Seattle after walking an AL-leading 87 times in 111 games with the Orioles.”
The Mariners do not have an easier stretch ahead of them. They begin a series against the New York Yankees this week before facing the division-rival Houston Astros. If Seattle hopes to turn its season around, the offense will need to find its rhythm soon.