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The Seattle Mariners have stormed into the playoff conversation, climbing the AL West standings on the back of elite pitching, timely hitting, and key roster upgrades. Their recent form has impressed ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan, who believes Seattle could be a nightmare opponent this October.
Passan took to X, formerly known as Twitter, shortly after Seattle’s latest win, making it clear he sees them as legitimate contenders.
“The Seattle Mariners have won eight straight games and are 10-1 since the trade deadline. If Houston loses tonight, the Mariners will be tied for first in the AL West. Their lineup is great, their rotation nasty, the back of their bullpen dominant. They are a scary October team.”
Seattle’s winning streak reached eight games with a walk-off victory over the Rays earlier this week, and they’ve gone 10-1 since the club’s last-minute acquisitions of Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor. That surge has pushed them within a game of the Astros in the AL West race while strengthening their hold on a Wild Card spot.
The turnaround has been dramatic. Once 10 games behind Houston in mid-June, the Mariners now boast the AL’s lowest team ERA (3.45) and have outscored opponents 142-85 since the end of July. Catcher Cal Raleigh leads MLB in home runs with 45, Julio Rodriguez has an elite combination of power and speed in center field, and Josh Naylor has posted a .286 batting average with 16 hits, four home runs, eight RBIs, and 10 runs scored through just his first 16 games since being dealt to the team by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
On the pitching side, Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, and George Kirby anchor a rotation that has shut down opposing lineups, while closer Andres Munoz (1.34 ERA) headlines a bullpen that ranks tenth in the league in ERA. This balance between offense and pitching is fueling their rise and keeping the Mariners firmly in the thick of the AL West race.
The upcoming schedule sets the stage for a dramatic September, featuring 13 games against the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers. With the easiest remaining opponent winning percentage (.480) in the AL, Seattle has a real shot at claiming its first division title since 2001.
The Mariners capped their latest statement win with a 1-0 shutout of the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday, improving to 67-53 on the season. For a franchise still seeking its first World Series appearance despite having an array of talent in its history, including Ken Griffey Jr. and Ichiro Suzuki, the coming weeks could prove to be the most pivotal stretch yet. If the current trajectory holds, Passan’s “scary October team” label might prove prophetic.
