Some MLB Prognosticators are Picking the Seattle Mariners to Win It All
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When the month of September rolled around in the 2025 season, the Seattle Mariners were certainly on the outside looking in. Trailing the Houston Astros in the American League West Division standings, they were hoping to grab one of the Wild Card slots and, hopefully, become a spoiler in a short series.
But after a magical month where the team went 17-8 and ran right past the scuffling Astros to capture their first division title since 2001, the perception of this team changed. In just a few red-hot weeks, the Mariners went from playoff contenders to potential favorites to win the Fall Classic.
"It looks like we're headed for a Phillies vs. Mariners World Series, according to the oddsmakers," Chinmay Vaida of CBS Sports wrote on September 29. "Philadelphia last made the World Series in 2022, falling to the Houston Astros. Seattle has never reached the World Series. The SportsLine model sees the Mariners winning it all in 19% of simulations, slightly ahead of the Phillies, who win in 15% of simulations."
Bryan Woo is the 'X-Factor' for the Mariners
He's not alone in his assessment of the AL West champions. Recently, longtime MLB insider Jeff Passan asserted that the M's have a case for being the last team standing. But they must have starter Bryan Woo (pectoral inflammation) back on the mound to have the best chance.
“I think it’s a function certainly of the American League being a festival of mediocrity,” Passan said, “But it’s also if you just objectively look at what the Mariners are doing right now and the talent that they have, they have had the best offense in Major League Baseball in terms of runs scored as well as peripherals in the month of September."
"They have a rotation where, as long as Bryan Woo is healthy, Bryan Woo followed by Logan Gilbert, followed by whether it’s George Kirby or Luis Castillo, that’s a lot of good starting pitching. And then you kick Bryce Miller over to the bullpen in the playoffs and add him to Caleb Ferguson and Gabe Speier and Matt Brash and Eduard Bazardo and Andrés Muñoz."
“All of a sudden, it’s like you add that together with the quality defense that they play and you can make an argument that they are actually the most complete team left right now.”
