Mariners Must Handle Pesky A’s If AL West Climb Is Going To Continue

This is the kind of series that quietly decides whether a climb is actually starting.

Randy Arozarena (56) celebrates at second base after hitting a double during the fourth inning against the Texas Rangers. | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

This is one of those series that looks modest on the calendar until you stare at the standings. The Mariners come into April 20 at 10-13, the Athletics are sitting at 11-11, and the AL West is still cramped enough that a clean three-game stretch can change the mood. Seattle just did some good work by taking the final two games against Texas. Now they need to back it up against a team that has already shown it can be annoying.  

If the Mariners are going to start climbing, this cannot be one of those series where we talk ourselves into the opponent being lesser and then spend three days wondering why everything feels difficult. The Athletics are not an easy challenge. They are an even .500 club, they have already flashed enough fight to stay in the division mix, and they gave Seattle exactly this kind of headache last year. The Mariners won that season series 7-6, but the A’s still finished plus-one in run differential. 

Mariners Need Steady Response Against A’s To Keep AL West Hope Moving

The pitching setup gives Seattle a real opportunity, though. Monday lines up Emerson Hancock against J.T. Ginn, Tuesday brings Luis Castillo against Jacob Lopez, and Wednesday closes with Logan Gilbert against Aaron Civale. Hancock has been excellent early, carrying a 2.28 ERA into the opener, while the Mariners’ probable-pitcher slate puts two of their most important rotation arms behind him the next two days. On paper, this is the kind of series where Seattle’s pitching should be able to put the team in position to win at least two.  

.@jp_crawford says Happy Sunday 😄 pic.twitter.com/8liW3hzaMA

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) April 19, 2026

But this is also not an Athletics lineup we should dismiss out of habit. Shea Langeliers has been their biggest problem for opposing pitchers, hitting .310 with six home runs and 26 hits, and Nick Kurtz has been a tough at-bat too with a .421 on-base percentage. Tyler Soderstrom has also driven in 15 runs, which tells you pretty quickly that this group has enough thump to punish mistakes. Seattle’s pitching should have the edge, but this is not a lineup you coast through.  

Klutch Kurtz 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/KkPBqqYK2v

— Athletics (@Athletics) April 18, 2026

That is why the Mariners’ offensive angle in this series feels pretty obvious. They don’t need to become a fireworks show. But they need to keep making the Athletics work. One of the more useful numbers in this matchup is that A’s pitchers have already issued 115 walks, the second-most in the league. If Seattle is going to squeeze this series the way it should, it probably starts there by turning patient at-bats into traffic.

There are also a couple Mariners bats that at least look capable of carrying some of that load. Randy Arozarena has been Seattle’s on-base leader at .402, and Luke Raley has been the club’s hottest all-around hitter, leading the team in average at .313 while also pacing the lineup with five homers and 13 RBI. That doesn’t solve every offensive issue by itself, but it does give Seattle a couple of pressure points going into the series.  

This is the kind of series that gives early movement in the standings real meaning. The Mariners did their part against Texas. Now they need to carry that into a matchup against an A’s team that has a habit of making things uncomfortable.