Mariners Face More Pressure After Astros Part Ways With Dana Brown
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The Astros parted ways with general manager Dana Brown on Monday. This somehow makes one of baseball’s strangest division races even messier. The Astros are still in first place in the AL West, though technically tied with the Rangers at 65-66. Brown’s contract was scheduled to expire after the season, but it sounds like neither really had plans to move forward with an extension anyway. They decided that waiting another five weeks was pointless.
Brown is gone. Owner Jim Crane is overseeing baseball operations. Three assistant general managers, Charles Cook, Gavin Dickey and Connor Huff will divide Brown’s responsibilities alongside senior advisor Jeff Bagwell.
Astros Part Ways With Dana Brown During AL West Race
That’s not a super clean transition. They’re now turning to a committee to steer a first-place team down the stretch. Somehow, a first place team is under .500. The Mariners are 62–69 and only three games behind them.
The Mariners aren’t chasing the ‘98 Yankees. They’re a deeply flawed team chasing two other deeply flawed teams that have spent the summer tripping over themselves and each other. One of those teams just changed its baseball leadership five weeks before the playoffs.
We can talk about the injuries, inconsistency, difficult stretches in the schedule and everything else that has played a role in a rather disappointing season. None of it changes the standings. The Mariners have 31 games remaining and three games separating them from the AL West title. Winning the AL West is very doable.
The Mariners came into 2026 as the defending AL West champion after ending Houston’s run of seven consecutive division titles in full seasons (A’s won the AL West in the 2020 Covid season). The Mariners were supposed to have knocked the Astros off their throne. Instead, we have a season that looks like no one wants to claim it.
That should increase the pressure on everyone in Seattle. They can throw the need for an historic finish out of the window. They don’t even need to rip off 20 consecutive wins or manifest some crazy dramatic comeback. If they can play competent baseball for the next five weeks, they could take the AL West. Win series. Beat the bad teams remaining on the schedule. And make sure to not let winnable games disappear.
Seattle also gets two final games against Houston at T-Mobile Park on Sept. 22 and 23. The Mariners have every opportunity to make this race uncomfortable before then.
Brown’s departure shouldn’t be treated as a development that fixes Seattle’s problems. Houston’s turmoil doesn’t control the M’s destiny. It just removes another excuse.
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Tremayne Person is the Publisher for Mariners On SI and the Site Expert at Friars on Base, with additional bylines across FanSided’s MLB division. He founded the Keep It Electric podcast in 2023 and covers baseball with a blend of analysis, context, and a little well-timed side-eye just to keep things honest. Tremayne grew up a Mariners fan in Richmond, Va., and that passion ultimately led him to move to Seattle to cover the team closely and become a regular at home games. Through his writing, he connects with fans who want a deeper, more personal understanding of the game. When he’s not at T-Mobile Park, he’s with his dog, gaming, or finding the next storyline worth digging into.
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