Takeaways From Seattle Mariners Series Split Against Los Angeles Angels
In this story:
The Seattle Mariners began the weekend on a good note by acquiring first baseman Josh Naylor from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday.
Hours after the news, the Mariners secured the win in Game 1 of a four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels.
Seattle ended up splitting the series with Los Angeles. The M's' inability to walk out with the series win led to the Boston Red Sox jumping them for the second American League Wild Card spot. The Mariners are tied with the Texas Rangers for the final AL Wild Card spot and for second place in the AL West.
Here's the takeaways from Seattle's series split against the Angels:
Naylor a solid addition to the lineup, Mariners still need one more bat
Naylor reported to the Mariners on Friday, a day after he was traded, and instantly showed his value. He rotated between the cleanup and No. 5 spot in the lineup. He had a base hit in the final three games of the series and finished 3-for-11. He scored a run, drew a walk and stole three bases.
Josh Naylor: Seattle Mariner 🔱
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) July 26, 2025
(via @Mariners) pic.twitter.com/cOiB6X1NUb
Despite Naylor's contributions, Seattle wasn't able to find much outside of home runs through most of the series.
Outside of one inning during the series, Seattle wasn't able to string together consistent offense. The M's will need at least one more impact bat for the lineup to to truly be at its best.
The Mariners were reported to still be pursuing third baseman Eugenio Suarez soon after the news of the Naylor trade broke.
Mariners starting rotation inconsistent again
The Mariners are in the middle of a stretch of 17 consecutive games without a day off. Because of that stretch and the current status of the AL playoff picture, there's an added emphasis on Seattle's starting pitchers to go deeper into games.
Seattle got that from Bryan Woo and George Kirby in Games two and three, respectively, but Logan Evans and Logan Gilbert went just five innings in games one and more.
George Kirby, 97mph ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/deGBapgtez
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 27, 2025
The injuries dealt to the starting rotation this season have led to the bullpen being heavily taxed. There's still time for the rotation to return to the form it had in 2024, but this could also be the norm for the rest of the year.
Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto confirmed the team will be chasing high-leverage relievers. If the starting rotation keeps at its current rate, those potential bullpen moves could hold a significant amount of weight.
Up next
Seattle will begin a three-game series against the Athletics at 7:05 p.m. PT on Monday. Luis Castillo will start for the Mariners and JP Sears will start for the Athletics.
Related Stories on Seattle Mariners
MARINERS CAN'T FIND OPPORTUNITIES IN 4-1 LOSS TO ANGELS: Cal Raleigh was responsible for the only offense for the Mariners as they failed to pull off a series win. CLICK HERE
MARINERS TARGETING HIGH-LEVERAGE RELIEVERS, PER TOP TEAM EXEC: In a recent appearance on MLB Network Radio, Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto confirmed the team will be going after bullpen arms. CLICK HERE
HERE'S HOW TO WATCH MARINERS SERIES FINALE AGAINST ANGELS ON ROKU: The Mariners will play their American League West rivals in a game broadcast exclusively on the free-to-watch platform Sunday. CLICK HERE
Follow Seattle Mariners on SI on social media
Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on "X" @Teren_Kowatsch and @RefuseToLosePod. You can subscribe to the "Refuse to Lose" podcast by clicking HERE.
