A Closer Look at the Seattle Mariners' Early Playoff Picture
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With the regular season finally over, the Seattle Mariners will have five days of rest before they play their first playoff game. However, despite the time off the field, the team won't just be watching and waiting. They'll be studying and scouting their two potential opponents while physically preparing for a potential run to the Fall Classic.
Seattle (90-72) holds the No. 2 seed in the AL and will begin play in the Division Series at home on Saturday against the winner of the wild-card round matchup between the AL Central-winning Cleveland Guardians and the Detroit Tigers. To prepare for that series and to stay locked in, the M’s are set to host six-inning intrasquad scrimmages on Wednesday and Thursday at T-Mobile Park.
Mariners manager Dan Wilson is committed to making sure his team stays fresh and that they don't acquire any rust during the layoff. He's determined to make sure this season isn't wasted on a subpar postseason performance.
"It's the mark that we've done something and that we've accomplished something and that we've had a good season,” Wilson said after the team clinched their division. “Obviously, we haven't been in this position before, so understanding how to progress through the bye, and we're going to be talking about that here, and sort of planning for it and getting ready for it.”
Who will Step Up for Seattle?
While the Mariners will look to stars like Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, and JP Crawford to help take them to their first World Series in franchise history, other players will have to step up. It's going to take a total team effort to reach the Fall Classic, and there are a couple of dark-horse candidates who could lead the charge for the AL West champs.
The most obvious name to start with is slugging third baseman Eugenio Suárez, whom the club acquired before the trade deadline. He hit just .190 with a .250 on-base percentage and 41 strikeouts, hitting seven home runs after returning to Seattle this summer.
Eugenio Suárez ties his career high with home run No. 49! pic.twitter.com/UrPs6uoKy7
— MLB (@MLB) September 26, 2025
However, the 34-year-old veteran also swatted a total of 49 homers and drove in 118 runs over the course of the season. If he gets hot, he could match Rodriguez and Raleigh in power during the playoffs.
Another candidate is battle-tested leftfielder Randy Arozarena, who hit just .216 over the final two months of the season, but has postseason experience and a knack for coming up with big hits in key moments. He previously won the ALCS MVP Award in 2020 and is the type of hitter who can go on a hot streak in a short series.
