The Seattle Mariners are on a tremendous roll, one that could take them to their first World Series championship in team history. Instead of getting close to the Houston Astros but finishing in second place in the American League West, the Mariners played their best baseball in the last month of the season and roared by their long-time rivals. With three games left in the regular season, the Mariners (0-69) are the American League West champions and they will have a bye in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
They could finish with the best record in the American League if they can bypass the American League East champions. Both the Toronto Blue Jays and the the New York Yankees are 91-68 with three games to play, and if those two teams remain tied, the Blue Jays have the tiebreaker in the battle for the division title.
If the Mariners and the American League East champions are tied at the end of the season — regardless of which team wins — the Mariners will not have homefield advantage if those two teams meet in the American League Championship Series. Seattle lost the season series to both teams.
But the Mariners have been rolling down the stretch, having won a shocking 17 of their last 18 games. They have gotten a sensational season out of catcher Cal Raleigh, and he is clearly in a tight battle with Aaron Judge of the Yankees for the Most Valuable Player award. He has gotten plenty of support from Julio Rodriguez, Randy Arozarena and Jorge Polanco.
Additionally, the Mariners have had terrific starting pitching all year long. That staff is headed by Bryan Woo, and the Mariners expect him to be back for the playoffs after suffering a pectoral injury earlier this month.
Here's a look at 3 Mariners who will make or break their World Series hopes.
Cal Raleigh is an all-time stud and the Mariners' leader
No catcher has ever put together a season like Cal Raleigh. Johnny Bench may be the best catcher in Major League Baseball history, but he never came close to bashing 60 home runs in a season. Many Yankees fans will say that Yogi Berra was every bit the equal of Bench, but he never came close to matching Raleigh's season.
The same goes for Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez and Yadier Molina. Both brilliant receivers, but they are not in Raleigh's category.
The numbers have been shocking. Going into the final weekend of the season, Raleigh has 60 home runs and the switch hitter also has 125 runs batted in. He has slashed .247/.360/.594 and he has also been one of the best defensive catchers in Major League Baseball.
The Mariners need Raleigh to play at a similar level to the one he displayed all season. The power-hitting catcher easily broke the record for most home runs by a catcher and a switch hitter this season. Those records were held by Sal Perez and Mickey Mantle, respectively.
Raleigh has been delivering big hits all season, and that's what the Mariners need from him in the postseason.
Mariners need a healthy Bryan Woo to head the playoff rotation
The Mariners have received excellent starting pitching throughout the season.
Bryan Woo, Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert and George Kirby have been the team's primary starters.
Woo and Castillo have been the two top starting pitchers, and Woo has been the top starter. He has made 30 starts this season and 21 have been quality starts. Woo has a 15-7 record along with a 2.94 earned run average. He has struck out 198 batters in 186.2 innings.
Woo suffered a pectoral injury in his last start earlier this month. The Mariners have said that Woo would be ready to make his start in the postseason. Since the Mariners will not have to play in the Wild Card round, he should be available during the divisional playoffs. The American League Divisional Playoffs are scheduled to start Saturday, October 3.
Woo has shown great command of his four-seam fastball. He also throws a slider, a sweeper and a changeup. The right-hander has an unusually low arm slot and his release point is known to cause problems for hitters. His presence at the top of the Seattle rotation is essential if the Mariners are going to win the World Series.
Randy Arozarena must hit in the clutch
The Mariners acquired Randy Arozarena in 2024 and he has been a significant asset this season.
The left fielder had a strong second half of the season for the Mariners. He finished the year with 27 home runs and 76 RBI. He also scored 93 runs this year while stealing 29 bases.
In addition to his resurgent season, he has earned a reputation as an explosive postseason player. Prior to coming to the Mariners, he starred for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Throughout his career, he has played in 9 postseason series. He has slashed .336/.414/.690 with 11 home runs and 17 RBI. Arozarena was at his best in the 2020 American League Division Series for the Rays against the Yankees when he slashed .421/.476/.895 and he followed that up with a brilliant performance in the 2020 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He slashed .364/.462/.773 and he belted 3 home runs.
Every World Series champion needs a player who overachieves in the postseason. Arozarena has shown he has done that in the past and he is an excellent candidate to do it again.
