MLB.com Writer Hopeful For Seattle Mariners to Win American League West
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Spring training is nearly upon us and with it will come the inevitable roster and playoff predictions and projections that are an unavoidable part of every pre-season period in sports.
Said projects for the Mariners vary, which is understandable considering their uncharacteristically slow offseason. Seattle signed two starting-caliber players in the offseason to respective one-year deals (first baseman Donovan Solano, third baseman Jorge Polanco).
Those moves aren't as exciting as a potential Christian Walker or Pete Alonso signing would be, but there is an argument to be made that the floor of the 2025 Mariners is higher than the 2024 iteration of the team.
The American League West is also more open than it has been in some time. The Houston Astros traded outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs, the Texas Rangers are looking to bounce back after an injury-plagued 2024 and the Los Angeles Angels and Athletics are looking to shed the moniker of basement dwellers. And one MLB.com writer is hopeful that these factors play out in the form of the first division title for Seattle since 2001.
An article written by Will Leitch listed out seven hopeful predictions for the 2025 season. One of them was Julio Rodriguez taking a step forward in 2025, and another was the Mariners winning the AL West:
The Mariners did finally break through and end their two-decades-long playoff drought in 2022, but they didn’t win the AL West that year and haven’t made the playoffs since. It’s probably time.
There aren’t many fanbases that get behind their team so whole-heartedly and passionately as Mariners fans do, and it has been a bummer to see their frustration these last two years, watching a team that many thought was about to turn a corner and dominate this division end up sputtering and spinning its wheels. They have the pitching, and they’re trying to get the offense some help, despite the difficulty of hitting at T-Mobile Park. The AL West looks less daunting than it has in the past. This could be the year. It better be.
A young star that probably doesn’t get talked about as much as he should? Julio Rodríguez.
— StatsBrad (@StatsBrad) February 5, 2025
Sleeper MVP candidate at around +3000 odds. Entering year 3 of his 12-year deal with the Mariners. #TridentsUp #MLB pic.twitter.com/JNJpKwPLxe
A common thread of thinking since Rodriguez debuted in 2022 has been that Seattle goes as far as Rodriguez does.
If Rodriguez does put together an MVP-caliber season, or avoids a slow start that has plagued him in his young career, and the offense does perform better than last year, there's a very good chance the Mariners could accomplish that hopeful prediction Leicht listed.
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